Salt Skin
by iulli17
Summary: A series of exerts throughout phases 1, 2, and 3 highlighting the emergent relationship between 2D and Noodle. Friendship/Eventual Pairing
1. Prequel  Close to Me

**A/N: This is the first of a series of chapters I've written following different stages throughout 2D and Noodle's relationship, beginning with friendship and ending in a possible pairing. I do not hold moral to the support of pairing these two whilest in Phases 1 and 2, however I believe that their relationship grows from there. Each chapter is based off of my own P.O.V's and opinions, but also closely follows the actual progression and phases of Gorillaz. If you do not support 2DXNoodle, then please do not read.**

**Make note that some of the translations I have offered from Japanese to English may not be completely accurate. However, I did my best.  
**

**[I do not own any of these characters. They belong to their rightful brilliant creators; Jamie Hewlett and Damon Albarn. Their music labels; Parlophone, Virgin, and EMI. And the amazing people behind Zombie Flesh Eaters.]**

**Please enjoy reading!**

**

* * *

**

_It is said that even the smallest of pieces, despite the distance from which each are strung, can in time accumulate and grow into a solid whole. The small pieces make up a larger image, unclear in the beginning, but slowly gaining clarity given the proper stretch._

_Sometimes it is the most important things in life that start out small. _

-Prequel-

November 23rd, 2001

2:54 a.m.

Lightening. Continuous… The brewing storms were rampant this time of year. Like clockwork they began around 8:43 each night and pummeled the world until dawn. Kong Studios was already an unpleasant place to live without adding nature's fury attacking the walls. In all sincerity, a man could go mad living under these conditions, a young Stuart Pot, now known better as 2D, came to realize. He never gave much thought to the weather, but even he found himself having trouble sleeping at night with all the ruckus going on outside.

Despite the bitter surroundings, 2D was happy to be back on familiar grounds. Gorillaz had just returned a couple weeks prior from band promotion, recording of music videos, and traveling about Europe doing interviews and cavorting with the media about their ground-breaking debut album. Needless to say they were all exhausted and deserved a break, so they were spending the holiday season at Kong.

Oh yes, it was good to be back in his own room, no matter how disturbing everything else beyond his little cocoon of a boodwar was. On these eerily stormy nights, he spent the young hours of the morn tooling away at his keyboards, scribbling down lyrics and forming tunes with his melodica. Despite the half-watt mind Murdoc seemed to dub him, 2D had brains enough to hold rights to some composer skills. After all, Muds wasn't the only one who worked on the foundation for the first album, whether anyone knew that or not.

Oh well, it mattered little what the Satanist bass player thought at the moment. 2D was lost in his own world, digging away at the crevices of his intellect for the perfect collaboration of melody and lyric. The scribbled piece he'd been working on for a night or two was nothing more than a couple words on a ripped notebook page with a coffee stain splattered across some of the ink. The vocabulary didn't make enough sense to be a complete verse, but at least he had the makings of a semi-decent introduction. Working on this held very little purpose to him except to pass the time while he couldn't sleep, but upon starting to write the few nights before, 2D felt the striving urge to finish what he had started. This particular night was no exception, and while the raging storm shook Kong's frame, 2D sat on the floor of his room adrift in creative thought.

It wasn't until he heard a few beeping noises from one of his retro computers sounding off 3:00 a.m. that he noticed the familiar pang of a fresh headache brewing in his temple. It had come to pass that the recent nightly storms hadn't been the only culprit in the theft of his sleep. Stu had regularly suffered from sever headaches since childhood, made worse thanks to Murdoc and the two sever vehicular assaults. For these reasons, he always kept bottle upon bottle of pain-killers on hand.

He reached for a nearby dosage, only to find it empty. He heaved a sigh and let the container slide out of his fingers. He knew it wouldn't have mattered if he had a few more pills lying around or not, they never seemed to work as well as they were supposed to. A cure for his migraines, or even a source of relief, had yet to be discovered. He dealt with them as best he could, most of the time simply by ignoring the pain.

F#, A, G, F#, E, D, A….. He played some notes on his keyboard. The tune was cheerful, but the lyrics would be forlorn and delicate. He couldn't quite place it, but he knew he wanted the words to be geared towards something or someone else, reminiscent of their presence.

"Up on a lonesome hill, there's an imitation tree….. Where I don't want to be…" He read some of his jots out loud, chewing on the eraser of his pencil. "Watching the day pass by, lost in a dream….Hmm."

The process of writing lyrics took a lot of pre-meditated contemplation. One had to be able to mingle the right atmosphere with tune and language. If even the slightest element was unbalanced, the whole song would fall apart.

He tried singing the words along with his notes….

"_Up on a lonesome hill, there's an imitation tree….. _

_Where I don't want to be…_

_Watching the day pass by, lost in a drea-_ Daah, its gettin' all jumbled!"

His headache was now throbbing as he erased some of the lyrics in frustration. He leaned back and lay on the floor, staring at the ceiling. "There's gotta be some IB 'round here _somewhere_….I can't hardly hear myself think."

The quiet of the room settled in on him. He breathed in and out and felt his hallow eyes grow heavy. Perhaps tonight wasn't the best night for writing shabby lyrics to a shabby song that will surely sit in his drawer for all of shabby eternity. Just as he felt his eyelids ceil shut, thunder rolled in from outside and made the walls creek. He sat up and placed a hand over his eyes, rubbing his temples. "…Who am I kiddin', I ain't gettin a wink of sleep with all that sodding racket."

As he mumbled this, a duet of thunder and a knock at his door made him jump.

He stared over at his bedroom door, listening carefully. A few seconds passed before another couple light knocks were heard. Who on earth could be coming to his room at this hour? Whoever it was, he knew it couldn't be Muds. The drunkard would have just barged in, paying no heed to knocking.

2D crawled over to the door and reached for the handle. "Who is it?"

Silence.

"Uhh…hello?"

More silence.

Now he felt uneasy. Perhaps it was Murdoc after all, this felt like a trick being conjured. It could have even been Russel! Hell, both of them could have been at it, trying to scare the shit out of him.

"C'mon fellas, knock it off. It's way too late for this."

He waited a few more seconds. Just as he was about to give up and return to his keyboard, thunder bellowed again, this time in a massive roar. Almost immediately, several more desperate knocks were heard on his door.

Exasperated, he opened it. "Fine. I'll play yeh dumb game, bunch of-" He was stopped mid-sentence by the sight of a very vacant-looking corridor outside his room. He looked left and right, puzzled. There appeared to be no one there, until a small "Um.." was heard.

"Eh?" 2D looked down to see a small, trembling girl, her eyes fixed on the ground. Standing at a mere 4'0 ft, he had barley noticed she was there.

"Noodle? What are yeh doin' here?"

She peeked up at him through her dark bangs. "2D-san…."

"You should be in bed, yeah? It's well past 3am! Yeh need some water or somethin'?"

"2D-san…onegai.." (Translation: "2D….please.")

He blinked. "Huh?"

Thunder crashed once more and Noodle pushed her way into his room quickly, having no more patience in waiting for an invitation.

2D looked baffled.

Young Noodle tugged and twisted the side of her night gown, keeping her eyes to the floor. "Gomen-nasai….demo…" (Translation: "I'm so sorry…but…")

2D stood there awkwardly. "Are yeh scared of the storm? Never seemed to bother yeh before."

Noodle didn't respond. She seemed to look a bit embarrassed. He noticed this and scratched his chin, trying to think of what to say. "It's alright, everyone's got stuff they're scared'a sometimes."

No response.

He struggled to think of more to say. "Reckon yeh was just pretendin' not to be scared during all the other storms?"

She raised her head now, giving him a look that seemed to say, "Please don't tell anyone!"

He grinned slightly. "No worries, yeh secret's safe with me!"

It was difficult to communicate with the Japanese child. 2D and the rest of the band members tried to pick up on phrases she often said, and vise versa. But when it came down to having a full conversation, they were all fairly stumped…2D especially, who already had enough trouble sometimes understanding himself.

He continued to feel the throbbing headache in his temple and sighed, occasionally glancing away from Noodle to look about the room for any random bottle of pain killers.

She seemed to calm down after a moment, which relieved the tall vocalist. He gave up on his pill search to continue speaking with her.

"So…yeh need an escort back to yeh room?" He pointed towards the door.

Noodle now took a step backward. Whatever her blue-haired band mate was saying, the motion towards the doorway wasn't a good sign."….Watashi wa todo matte moi ka?" (Translation: "Can I stay?")

2D seemed to catch the hint. He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "I know these storms can get pretty freaky, blud. But I think it'd be best if yeh went back to yeh own room. Turn on some music or somethin', how about puttin' on some'a them headphones Russ gave yeh?"

Noodle lowered her head. Language barrier or not, what he was trying to say was clear enough to her. She knew herself that it was strange showing up at his door…. she struggled to remember why she ended up there in the first place. She peeked up to watch as he slunk down and sat on the floor beside her, his lanky knees bending upward.

He looked over at her. She scooted backwards a bit further from him, and then hesitantly nestled her legs beneath her and sat geisha style.

For a few minutes things were quiet, except for the pounding of the heavy rain outside.

Despite the humbling silence, 2D's headache was quickly turning into a migraine. He tried to ignore it.

"Tell yeh what; yeh can stay with me for a lil while…But then its back to bed with yeh." He proposed.

Noods stared at her hands in her lap and then nodded. Whatever he had said sounded like something she could agree to.

As to not allow anymore uncomfortable stillness to settle in, 2D began fumbling around where he had been working, gathering his chicken-scratched lyrics and keeping an eye out for his pain killers.

Noodle studied him from her spot on the floor, watching as he bundled a huge wad of papers, plus his melodica, all between his arms and attempted to transport it all to a new location. Suddenly he tripped over a cord protruding from one of his multi-plugs, which killed one of the lights on the other side of the room, causing him to topple over. Everything in his arms scattered everywhere.

Noodle felt her lips curve into a grin, trying to hold back a chuckle. Something about the singer's spill reminded her why she had come to his room in the first place: His ability to lighten any mood was unparalleled.

2D noticed her perking up as he peeled himself off the floor. "I meant to do that." The gap between his two front teeth shone as he smiled.

Noodle felt she was idling and decided to assist him in collecting the scattered papers. Upon picking up a few documents she couldn't read, beneath one of her feet appeared a lyric + cord sheet. She picked it up and read the music to herself, imagining the tune. She hadn't heard it before.

2D examined the floor. Where on earth had his lyrics gone to? And why couldn't he find just _one_ bottle of pills?

When he noticed that Noodle had found his lyrics, he felt slightly panicked. No one else had seen them except him. He hadn't really planned on showing the in-progress peice to anyone, whether he finished it or not. Perhaps she couldn't read English, but she was fluent in music!

Noods peered up at him and pointed at the paper, questioning in silence why she had never heard it before.

2D plucked it out of her grasp and stared down at it. She saw his cheeks flush a bit. "This is…this is nothin' important! Just nonsense, really."

Noodle cocked her head. "Naii Gorillaz ja no ta shikashi, 2D-san no utaka tabun kei saku ka? (Translation: "Not a Gorillaz song, but a 2D-san song? Perhaps a masterpiece?")

He stared at her with narrow eyes, wishing like hell that he could understand even an ounce of what she was saying. He heard his name in the foreign sentence…that must have meant she was aware that he had written the music. He also heard 'Gorillaz.'

"….Yes, uhhh… it's my song. Mmm, not rightfully sure if it'll ever amount to anythin' worth recording. Not really the sound Gorillaz are going for, is it?"

Noodle gave a small smile, before reaching forward and taking the sheet of lyrics back. After she sat silently studying the music for a few minutes, she began to hum the tune out loud.

2D let out a quick breath as she did this.

Right as she was approaching the second set of notes, thunder rolled in like a brawling giant across the mountainside, cutting Noodle off. She yelped and dropped the paper to the ground.

2D chewed on his lip, looking concerned. He had never actually seen the small Japanese girl show so much fear in something. Here they were living at Kong, with all the negative energy, zombies, and eerie hauntings, not to mention Murdoc's constant Satanism letting in God knows what into the studio, and instead of all that, she's afraid of something as ordinary as thunder.

"I'm sorry no one ever came to yeh rescue, Noods. Did yeh think we'd think less'a yeh or somethin'? Yeh didn't have to do that, yeh could'a come and seen me or Russ. -Or Murdoc I guess, but I don't know why yeh'd ever want to do tha-"

Another crash of thunder and lightening came, interrupting 2D's long and unnecessary rant. Noodle shrieked, kneeling down to the floor and hugging her arms around herself.

2D was beside himself. He really wasn't the best when it came to calming people down. Usually he was the one freaking out about something. He also wasn't good with kids, or at least he thought he wasn't. He had grown up an only child and Noodle was the closest thing to a kid he'd ever really experienced. Noodle never reminded him much of a little girl, despite only being 8 when she arrived in the big Fed-Ex crate on Kong's doorstep. She was always so quiet, keeping to herself most of the time…disregarding the fact that she only spoke Japanese and lived in a house of older, English-speaking men. It would have seemed like she would have by now run a muck or broken down from lack of discipline and care. But she was so much more mature than that. She was like a miniature adult; always so responsible. Surely she could have taken care of herself if she had to. Now that he thought about it, she more or less must have been taking care of herself that whole time. Russel was there for her, but he _**was **_only 25 and had his own agenda to keep. Noodle had no real parental guidance…she had no one to really tell her what was right or wrong, to comfort her when she was afraid, or talk to her when she needed company. And yet she acted as well-mannered and established as any family-oriented, primed and proper young lady should…. give or take a few guitarist moments, Karate kicks, or excitement when the curtains rose at a gig.

Watching her tremble on the floor was 2D's first time seeing her react to something as a child would.

He struggled with his tired and aching brain to think of something to get her mind off the thunder. What had he liked as a kid? What had his mother or father done to calm him down when he was afraid of something?

He glanced down at the cord sheet now lying on the floor beneath Noodle's knees.

An idea struck him. He reached for the paper and glanced over it, peeking back at the still-shaking Noodle. She had her eyes tightly closed.

He set the cords down on a mini sheet-music stand, placed one hand down and brushed his fingertips across the keys of one of his keyboards.

A small bit of thunder rolled in the background, as if to cue the music.

All at once, he began to play the tune he had conjured. The same tune she had been humming before.

Noodle opened her eyes and peeked over at 2D, who was sitting on the floor across from her. He played his keyboard with the skill of a true pianist, quickly inventing a few opening twists to add to the simple tune he had written. Finally, he opened his mouth to sing the lyrics with his melodic voice.

"_Up on a lonesome hill, there's an imitation tree….. _

_Where I don't want to be…_

_Watching the day pass by, lost in a dream…."_

He glanced over at her.

Noodle was sitting, intently listening. Damn it, if only he had more of the lyrics written! It was still a work in progress, after all.

He removed his hands from the keyboard. "That's all I got so far."

"Sugoi!" (Translation: "Very good!") Noodle praised softly as she inched closer, trying to glance at the music notes pinned to the stand.

2D was glad to have received his first constructive criticism on the piece of music, whether or not he could understand it. He watched as she read over the music, tapping her chin in deep thought. It was strange to him how in-tune with music she could get herself. It was a gift, really. A gift they both shared, in all sincerity, but he sensed that she held more of the gift than he did.

His elbow accidentally hit a high-pitched note on his keyboard and the sound sent an echo through his brain. He remembered the migraine he had been trying to hide and reached up to rub his head.

Noodle watched him do so. The most prominent thing she had noticed about the singer upon meeting him was that he possessed endless amounts of bottled pills, most of which he popped daily. She discovered on her own that they were for headaches, and that he suffered from them frequently.

"Anata no ksugi oshi nataka?" (Translation: "Lost your medicine?")

Stu looked over at her, half grinning. He had a weak look on his face, as though his attempts to ignore the pain were to no avail.

Noodle's expression was full of innocent concern. He wanted to reply to her, but as always, the language barrier blocked him out.

It surprised him when she stood up and began rummaging through his room. He watched in curiosity as she picked up a prescription bottle she found in a box and examined it. It was empty. She tossed it aside and kept digging.

He was a bit taken back; she was assisting him in the retrieval of antidote for his migraine. Strange, he had never noticed before just how maternal the little girl could be. They had been together under the same roof, recording the first album, and existing in and out of each others lives since late '98, and yet he felt like he hardly knew her.

He stood up and began searching too.

After about 8 minutes of scrounging with no success, 2D sat back down and held his head. "Forget it, Noods. It isn't happenin'. I'll just go to the pharmacy tomorrow or somethin'."

Noodle had been lifting a box to peer beneath it. She glanced over at the English man and tossed the empty cardboard to the floor. "Gomen nai." (Translation: "Sorry.")

2D grinned for a moment and then commenced staring at the ground, trying to think of something to get his mind off the ache.

Noodle rocked back and forth on her heels, before moving closer to the agonized singer.

2D hadn't notice her nearing presence.

Just as he was about to give up on his thoughts and let the pain engulf him as it always did, he felt a hand lay down on his shoulder. He turned and looked beside him to find Noodle there with a concerned, but calm expression. "Daijoubu." (Translation: "It's ok.")

2D peered up at her. When he sat on the floor as he did, legs criss-crossed, he and Noodle were just about the same height. She appeared taller at that moment, though.

It was then that he randomly noticed something odd; His pain had decreased substantially.

Perplexed, he turned away from her, running his hand through his azul hair.

Assuming that he was still in pain, Noodle sat down beside him, continuing to rest her hand on his lofty shoulder above her head now.

For the first time in ages, 2D's mind felt clear and nearly pain-free.

Had he taken a pill earlier and just forgot about it?

He peeked over at Noodle again, who was patiently supporting him.

No, there were no drugs in his system.

Perhaps he was going mad, but could it have been because of Noodle? Was she some sort of natural antidote?

He sat, contemplating this.

Just then, thunder shook the room and Noods quickly grabbed her legs up to her chin again and curled herself into a ball.

2D sighed. The storm still hadn't passed. "Yeh know Noods, this weather might not be goin' anywhere for a while. I know yeh don't want to, but maybe yeh should head back to yeh room? I promise yeh'll be alright, blud!" He motioned towards the door.

Noodle immediately hugged her legs tighter, shaking her head. "Dame desu!" (Translation: "No!")

He knew he wouldn't be able to get her back to her own room easily. She was just as resilient as she was afraid of this storm. Sometimes her stubbornness reminded him of Murdoc. But only slightly.

However, watching her plant herself there on his floor tenaciously gave him notions. ….

All of a sudden, as if one second made all the difference, ideas came flowing to 2D like an avalanche. "Yeh know what?….Hold on a moment." He reached for his lyric sheet, still placed on the music stand, and began scribbling with a pencil. He changed some things around; erasing and replacing notes and lyrics.

Noodle scooted back and watched him write. She could hear a rattle of thunder in the background, and even though she still felt afraid, watching 2D work so diligently reminded her to stay calm and not disturb him.

Long stretches of time passed. The room remained quiet except for 2D's pencil moving across the paper.

The storm had seemed to die down outside, no thunder had been heard for a while. Noodle continued to watch as he worked.

He leaned back to take a look, then turned his head towards her. "Sorry, some great ideas came to me right then!" As he said this, he noticed the fatigue on her face.

"Yeh lookin tired there, love. How's about headin back to yeh room? Sounds like the storm's died down."

Noodle had almost entirely forgotten about the howling wind and thunder. She had enjoyed the peace that fell over her while watching 2D write. But as the clock struck 3:50 a.m., she knew the importance of heading back to her own room, despite not wanting to.

2D stood up and walked her to the door. Opening it carefully, he peered out into the dark corridor. Nothing but vast open hallway and cold air.

Noodle stood, holding onto the edge of her night gown. She looked up at the singer for a moment, then bowed politely.

2D smiled awkwardly. He never understood the whole bowing thing.

Oyasumi-nasai, 2D-san." (Translation: "Goodnight, 2D.")

"Uhh….sleep well Noods!"

She grinned faintly and began to leave the room.

2D let out a sigh of relief as she disappeared, feeling like he had accomplished something.

As the door to his room began to swing shut, a sudden roar of unfriendly thunder rolled in.

The door hadn't shut all the way when Noodle's small hands could be seen pushing it back open and rushing into 2D's room.

2D frowned, watching her quiver beneath his gaze.

"Gomen-nasai…. Gomen-nasai!" (Translation" I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry!")

Noodle felt hopelessly ashamed of her behavior. She had tried so hard to be brave, tried to be like her band mates, tried to act tough and worthy of being in a band made of grown men. But she was, in all actuality, a little girl. And she couldn't pretend to be anything else at a time like this.

2D looked over at the door, and then around the room. He felt unsure what to do. He couldn't send the poor kid back to her room alone when she was so terrified; he hadn't the heart for that! And he very well couldn't go back to her room with her, how strange would that look in the morning? Muds and Russ would tease him for weeks!

He began to ponder a solution. He looked over at his bed, patiently waiting for an occupant in the late hour. He then smiled, having thought of what to do. He turned back to her and rested a hand on her head.

"It's ok, Noods. You can stay here for the night, yeah? I don't mind. I'll just floor it and yeh can sleep in my bed."

Noodle peered up through her teary eyes and tried hard to understand 2D's soft-spoken words. They sounded reassuring and warm. She watched as he walked over to his bed, took off one of the pillows and set it on the floor, then grabbed a nearby blanket, making a nest for himself. Finally, he motioned towards his now vacant divan. "There yeh go!"

Noodle lowered her head, sniffling. She understood now. He was letting her stay! Though she felt a bit uncomfortable with the situation, she was relieved as well.

She timidly approached his bed and then climbed into the sheets. 2D offered her another blanket, but she lifted her palm and shook her head. One was enough for her.

2D nodded. "Alright then, love. I'll let yeh get some sleep. Forget about that sodding storm. It can't do anythin' to hurt yeh."

Noodle relaxed against the pillow beneath her head. For the first time since she had arrived at Kong, she felt like she could let down her guard. Stuart Pot had given her a reason to feel safe, and that was something no one else had offered her in a long time.

2D turned his lamp off, but the flickering lights from all the multi-plugs illuminated bits and pieces of his eccentric room.

He laid down on his make-shift bed on the floor and shut his hallow eyes.

10 minutes or so passed before he re-opened them.

He sat up and turned a smaller work lamp on beside one of his keyboards. He looked over to see Noodle already well asleep. He heard some thunder in the background, but her peaceful expression did not alter.

He looked down at the song he had been working on. Without playing any notes on his keyboard, he sang out loud softly to the quiet room and the sleeping axe-princess.

"_Up on melancholy hill, there's a plastic tree._

_Are yeh here with me?_

_Just looking out on the day, of another dream….._"

When the silence fell over him again and Noodle hadn't stirred, he picked up a pencil and started writing again. His mind was flowing with great lyrics and notes that couldn't be ignored.

Unable to sleep, he continued to scribble well into the early hours.

The words, the melody, the synch; he had finally found them all. He finished the opening verses by 5:54 a.m. Sitting back, he sang the rest almost in a whisper to himself, looking over at the sleeping Noodle as he did so.

"_Well you can't get what yeh want,_

_But yeh can get me._

_So let's sail out to sea, love…_

_Cause you are my medicine when you're close to me…_

_When you're close to me_."

[End Prequel]

/Ch. 01 coming soon/


	2. Chapter 01  Mind's Illustrations

**A/N: After some prolonged time, here is Chapter 01 of Salt Skin. A reminder that my translations from Japanese to English may not be entirely accurate, though I tried my best. Keep in mind again also that I do not ****support the pairing of 2D and Noodle whilst in Phases 1 and 2, however I believe that their relationship grows from there.**

**(For further copyright and story info, please see the A/N in Salt Skin's Prequel.)  
**

**Thank you and enjoy reading!  
**

* * *

-Ch. 01-

A row. They were all standing in a row.

"Ichi." (Translation: "1.") BANG.

"Ni." (Translation: "2.") BANG.

"San." (Translation: "3.") BANG.

"Yon." (Translation: "4.") BANG.

Blurred faces. Unclear surroundings.

Tall figures dressed in black. Someone crying under their breath.

A silhouette attempting to run; "Juni." (Translation: "12.") BANG.

A nauseating feeling, the smell of blood and gun powder.

A small heart racing.

"Junana." (Translation: "17.") BANG.

These numbers all had meaning.

"Juhachi." (Translation: "18.") BANG.

They all had purpose.

Each one, announced loudly. Voices echoing. Followed directly by a gunshot.

But where was it? Where was _that_ number?

"Doko…desu ka." (Translation: "Where is it?")

"Jukyu." (Translation: "19.") BANG.

The number most familiar?

"Niju." (Translation: "20.") BANG.

_Her_ number.

"Dokodesu ka?" (Translation: "Where is it?")

"Nijuichi." (Translation: "21.") BANG.

"Nijuni." (Translation: "22.") BANG.

"KOKO DE!" (Translation: "WHERE!")

* * *

Feb. 22nd, 2002

5:00 p.m.

Eyes shot open.

She found herself sitting in a tope leathered seat, with a cup holder on the left arm. Her heart was racing, and her brow was glinted with a small bit of sweat.

She looked down at her shoes…. Pink slip-ons. She had on a blue jacket with large pockets. A set of white headphones were placed over her ears, but the disc-man lying next to her was on pause.

To her right was a window with a shade pulled down. A tremor was felt from below.

She was on a plane.

Just then, a small nudge was felt on her shoulder.

"Noodle girl, you a'ight?" It was Russel. He was seated next to her. "You were callin' out in your sleep again, all sketched out."

Noodle blinked, turning away. "…Akumu." (Translation: "A nightmare.")

Russ knew the meaning of that word well. "Another nightmare, huh?"

Noodle's expression lowered. "..Hai." (Translation: "Yes.")

"Aaaoohh, what in bloody hell is the matter _now_? I'm tryin'ta sleep back here!" A drowsed Murdoc yelled from a few seats behind.

Russ turned around. "Man, if you don't lay off I'm'a come back there and put you to sleep _permanently_."

"While you're at it maybe you can do the same to Noodle? That's the 3rd time this flight she's woken me up!"

Russel's teeth grinded. "She's just a kid, man. Give her a break!"

"Well what's the problem? She scared of planes? Is she sick? What?" Murdoc barked.

"You don't catch on to much, do you?"

"What's there to catch onto, mate? Unless it's some Z's, I'm all out of guesses."

As the two band members bickered, Noodle unbuckled herself from the leather seat and walked towards the front of the cabin where the bathroom was located.

On her way there, she met the isle where her other band mate resided.

2D was staring at a Sudoku puzzle in a magazine, zoning out. He could never sleep during flights.

He looked up to spot her holding onto the isle seat for balance as some turbulence hit. She was looking down at her feet, turning pale in the cheeks.

"'ey Noods. You know anythin' about Sudoku? This one's got me well stumped!"

A large jolt set her off balance.

2D quickly reached over and grabbed onto her wrist before she could topple over.

A *Ding* was heard and a voice over the intercom spoke. "Sorry about that, guys. Hittin' some minor turbulence. Be sure you're seated with seatbelts fastened."

"_Minor_ turbulence? I'm about to lose my gizzards! Fly the plane _right_, Mon Capitan!" Muds was his usual crude self. He had been suffering from a hang over the entire trip.

2D led the dizzy-looking Noodle over to the seat beside him. "Yeh ok?"

She nodded.

The singer rested his chin on his arms on the fold-down table in front of him. "Bad dream again?"

Noodle grimaced before nodding once more. She now understood bits and pieces of the English language. She occasionally replied in English words, but it was a rarity.

2D frowned. "Yeh been havin' an awful lot of those lately. What are they about?"

Noodle searched her mind for a reply. "Watashi wa rikai shite inai." (Translation: "I don't understand.")

2D sighed, unable to understand either.

"Tameiki o shinaide, sore wa daijōbuda." (Translation: "Don't sigh, it is ok.") She smiled faintly.

2D had seen that same expression on her face for weeks now. What had started out as a few minor bad dreams back in summer '01 during their promotional concerts in Japan had now transpired into full-blown nightmares, repeatedly haunting her. She had lost some of her zealous energy, which was apparent to both 2D and Russel. Murdoc probably noticed too, whether he showed concern or not.

The Sudoku puzzle lying in front of 2D caught Noodle's attention. Some of the answers he had written were wrong—immensely.

She reached for his pencil and shook her head. "No, no, 2D-san. Eeto…Do you…uhmm…know….Sudoku no senryaku?" (Translation: No, no, 2D. Um..do you… uhmm… know… the strategy of Sudoku?")

2D stared at her for a minute, rubbing the back of his neck. "What?"

Noodle glanced the other way. Language barrier or not, he was a bit thick. This reminded her of something, however. "Matte!" (Translation: "Wait!") She got up and rushed back to her seat beside Russ.

2D sat idle with his hands dangling off his knees. She returned a moment later with a creature-shaped backpack. From within, she dug out a small device. This was something new she had found at the airport back in London.

"Kore wa hon'yaku sa re!" (Translation: "This is a translator!") She handed it to him.

He gazed at it. "Thanks, but won't it be cheating if we use this to solve the puzzle?"

Of course he thought it was a calculator. Noods leaned over and pressed the power button. Up popped a greeting message: **Good day, ready to translate?**

It took a few seconds of thought process before 2D understood. "That's ace, isn't it! Like…the key to the puzzle! Not the Sudoku puzzle. The Noodle puzzle!"

"Nudaru puzaru?" Noodle repeated.

2D stood up. "Hey guys, check out this thing Noods has! It's supposed to do somethin' like translate for us. Er…translate for her. Both?"

"Showed me earlier." Russ had his cap pulled down over his eyes.

Murdoc didn't respond. He had finally given up on sleep and was watching an in-flight movie.

2D sat back down, phased by their lack of similar enthusiasm.

Noodle looked pleased though. The vocalist handed the device to her and she typed in something. She handed it back with both hands.

**Hallo! **The screen read.

2D grinned and started typing. He was good with electronics, though no one would have guessed it. **Kon'nichiwa, kono yō ni dōsa shimasu ka?**(Translation: **Hello, does this work?**)

Noodle's face lit up. **I am understanding you! This is a delight!**

**Anata wa, eigo o benkyō suru hitsuyō ga daisuki.**(Translation: You need to learn English, love.)

**I learn bits at times. I am better with a musical sense, rather than tongue.**

When 2D read the strange English, he tried to refrain from laughing.

Noodle grabbed the translator back and quickly typed: **What is funny?**

2D took it back. **Sumimasen** **ga, hōhō wa, anata ga henda to itta****. **(Translation: I'm sorry, the way you said that was weird.)

He continued to chuckle to himself for a few more seconds.

**I do not understand your humor, tall one.**

2D laughed again, more outwardly.

Noodle felt confused, but decided this was better than not understanding at all. She had made someone laugh….in English! She drew out a wide grin.

Unexpected turbulence stirred everyone from their occupations.

*Ding* "Everyone fasten your seatbelts. We are approaching our destination. Please stow away any loose belongings and hold tight, we'll be landing in an approximated 15 minutes. Thank you for flying with us, and happy touring Gorillaz."

"Bout sodding time." Murdoc reached for his window and pushed up the blind. The sun poured in, illuminating his sleep-deprived features. "Have a look, chicklings…the new world!"

2D reached over to open his blind as well. Both he and Noodle squinted as the rays of light flew into their eyes. They looked out and saw a nearing landmass.

"Toronto Pearsooon." Muds slurred his words to sound cool.

The first destination of their North America Tour; Toronto Docks, Canada.

High-hopes were interrupted as a stewardess entered the cabin with a phone in her hands. "Um…..pardon me, Mr. Niccals. A call came up from the airport…..Security wants to have a word with you once we land?"

Murdoc thought for a moment. "Really. Can't imagine why."

* * *

February 25th, 2002

5:05 a.m.

A bitter wind blew through the February air. After a long first few nights in new territory, Gorillaz Toronto Docks gig had gone sour without spoiling.

"That went _AMAZINGLY_! Toronto….you smashing, brilliant lass you!" Murdoc yelped into the morning fog.

"Yo keep it down!" Russ snapped at the bass player.

Muds was hanging over the railing of their 3rd story hotel room balcony with a bottle of whiskey in his hand.

"Oh lighten up, it's a glorious morn to be ALIIIIVE!"

"Man, Noods and 'D are still sleepin'! Do you _want_ to go back into police custody?"

It was 5 in the morning and Russel and Murdoc had stayed out all night to celebrate the first gig, returning to a dark hotel room with two master beds being occupied and a tiny kitchen area secreting with complementary hard liquor.

The past couple days had been a little less than stable. The moment their plane touched down, Murdoc had been taken in by police to sort out a prolonged issue that had occurred the last time Muds had been in North America…..15 years prior. Everyone had watched in alarm as he was hand-cuffed and taken into custody. He barely got out in time for the show.

Everyone had been on-edge the entire time he was withheld. To make matters worse, the gig hadn't gone as smoothly as they wanted. Bad reviews were already surfacing. The four band members tried to delude and learn from their mistakes. All they could do was move on and improve their performance come the next gig.

"Tell 'em to get their arses up! Weaklings…. I can understand Noodle, but Stuart? _STUART_! Look at 'em! He's bloody 23 years old an' he passes out before the first celebratory beer is cracked!"

"I recall him having a Shirley Temple, at least." Russ pondered aloud.

"BAH!" Muds threw his left arm into the air and swung it about. He took a long swig of his beverage and then began leaking the remains of whiskey onto 2D's sleeping face.

Immediately the singer began coughing and sat up, wiping the fowl-smelling liquid off his skin. "What the hell then Murdoc?"

Muds wore a sneer. "G'morning cupcake. That's for not coming out with us last night."

2D tried to snatch the empty bottle out of Murdoc's hand, but the bassist jumped back and let the vocalist topple off the bed in a heap.

Singular laughter ensued.

Noodle was wrapped in a massive collection of hotel blankets, still sound asleep. Russ smiled down at her, attempting to ignore Murdoc's foolery. "I swear the kid can sleep through anything."

2D pulled himself up off the floor and began drying his face off with a sheet. "She's been havin' those night-terrors lately, hasn't she? I'm 'bit surprised she didn't wake up from one all night."

Russel scratched his bald head and glanced over at Murdoc, who was now rummaging through the collection of free drinks in the portable refrigerator.

"You know what they're about, 'D?" He finally asked.

2D shrugged, pulling off his shirt and heading for the bathroom.

"Just where do you think you're going?" Murdoc peered up from a bottle of Bacardi Gold.

The blue-haired singer looked at the bassist with a bit of irritation. "Shower. Why?"

Muds grinned just as a honk was heard outside their balcony. "No time. Our ride is here mate!"

"Already?" Russ looked out at a large tour bus in the parking lot below.

2D heaved a weary sigh, digging in his jean pocket for his cigarettes.

"Well see, if you'd stayed out all night like a _real_ rock star, you would have been ready." Murdoc lectured, grabbing a couple duffle-bags that belonged to him. "Get that kid up, we're out!" He directed his words to the entire room.

Russel grabbed some of his belongings before attempting to situate the sleeping Noodle on his back for the trip downstairs.

"Why not wake her up?" 2D questioned as he threw on his shirt again.

"Nah, man. She rarely gets this much sleep."

"Well, let me help yeh with some of that then." 2D reached for some of the bags Russ had bulked up in his arms.

"Here, better yet…" Russel set down his bags and turned around. "Take Noods, would yah? I'll grab your stuff along with mine. Easier that way."

2D blinked. "Oh, well alright." He and Russel did a passing of Noodle from one back to another.

She was very light. Russ knew that even with 2D's slim frame, he could handle carrying her.

Murdoc had already ventured down to the tour bus and was hollering from outside: "Let's get a move on, ladies!"

The hotel room was left a disaster. Day one of the endless NA tour by bus had begun, roughly.

* * *

February 25th, 2002

12:20 p.m.

Attendees and cohorts were buzzing about the bus, talking with Murdoc and Russel about the upcoming gigs.

2D stared out the window at the passing scenery, sitting at a fold-out table. He had a pint of Haagen-Daz strawberry ice cream in front of him with a spoon hanging from his mouth.

Noodle could hear voices, opening her weary eyes. The scent of cigarettes and fresh furnishings flooded her nose. When her pupils adjusted, she found herself in a dim loft of some sort. It was a small confined bed, with a curtain drawn to her left.

She hesitantly sat up, there being barely enough space for her head to do so, as she was so close to the ceiling. She peeked out from the curtain to find herself high above the floor of the tour bus. Beneath her was another bunk, with its curtains open. No occupant. Directly across from her were two identical top and bottom bunks with un-drawn curtains. She had been the only one sleeping.

By the looks of things, she was placed there without rousing from her initial resting spot.

Their first NA show had been a bust, but the excitement had still worn her out.

She pushed open the curtains further and swung her legs over the edge, letting them dangle. She was still in her pajamas. She spotted where the voices were coming from; An in-depth meeting was taking place at the back of the bus around a large square table. Murdoc showed particular enthusiasm in the conversation. She had never seen him so fervent, actually; he threw his arms about with a smug grin across his face.

It was then that she caught the eye of Russel, who was listening to the conversation earnestly. He smiled and tossed a quick wave to her.

She smiled back.

Gorillaz were finally on tour! It was a new experience she had looked forward to embarking on. It was refreshing for her to get out of the moldy Kong Studios of Essex to breathe some new air.

She jumped down from the bunk and walked over to a nearby window, peeking out while standing on her tip-toes. The world flashed by as the bus traveled down an open high-way. She could only assume that they were headed toward their next destination; Avalon, Boston U.S.A.

"Yeh ever been to America?"

She jumped at the sudden voice projected towards her. She turned around to see 2D sitting at the fold-down table on the other side of the bus. Why he wasn't involved in the meeting with everyone else was beyond her.

"Ehh….nani?" (Translation: "Ehh…What?") She walked over and sat opposite him at the table.

The ice cream sitting between them tempted her. She hadn't eaten since the night before.

Without having to ask, the blue-haired singer nudged the carton towards her, along with the spoon he had been using. "Want some?"

Noods stared at him, then the ice cream. "..Me?" She spoke softly when using English words, worrying if they sounded correct.

2D grinned. "Yeah! I'm not finishin' it by myself, it's too much."

She noticed his increase of fervor when she spoke his language.

To her, it was very improper to use someone else's spoon. But after living with the three men for nearly four years, she learned to try and look past anything deemed improper.

She picked up the spoon, scooped it into the carton, and shoved a chunk of strawberry dessert into her mouth. She peered back at Stu-Pot, searching for some sort of approval to her actions. Instead, she found him staring out the window again with a vacant expression. She began doing the same.

"I've never been to the States." He said after a moment.

She understood his statement slightly, nodding as she took another spoonful of ice cream. Neither had she. She hoped that this journey would cure her of the endless nightmares she'd been having over the past 7 months. They wore her out…. Maybe some new scenery would be good for her.

"'D. Ice cream for breakfast?" Russel appeared beside their table, casting a judgmental look towards the vocalist.

"It's 12:30, Russ. Lunch." 2D chimed.

The big man rolled his eyes.

The meeting had apparently ended. Cohorts were scattering throughout the bus and Murdoc was leaning back in a chair with his feet on the square table.

"The stage is set, peeps." He hummed.

"…No its not, we haven't even gotten to Boston yet." 2D responded.

Murdoc scowled at the singer for a split second before quickly fixing his demeanor. Not even a goon like Stu-Pot was going to shake his chipper mood. "At last. On the open road. Crossing the boarder into the U- S- of -A with a whooooole mess of boos and ladies waiting to shower upon us.…. Doesn't get much better than this, does it?"

Russ, 2D, and Noodle looked at each other awkwardly.

Muds reached for a nearby champagne bottle and raised it high above his head. "Well don't just stand there, mates. Rejoice! Our band is TOURING North America! We're big now. Bigger than before! Have a laugh, or at least slap a grin on….."

Russ eventually came around. "Guess you're right about that, man. We've hit the big time now. Never thought this day would co-"

"-BEAUTIFUL speech, Russ. Well put." Murdoc jumped in the middle of Russel's words. The drummer glared.

"Now what shall we dub this shack on wheels? ….Any ideas?"

Everyone again stood silent.

2D raised a finger to say something, but Noodle quickly reached for his arm and shook her head. It was better to stay quiet, in his case.

"Fine." Murdoc continued. "Then I christen this voyager, 'The Charon!'" The unopened bottle of champagne came slamming down on the edge of the table, shattering.

"Aw man, what the hell!" Russ stood in dismay as the liquid spread across the floor.

Murdoc began laughing, popping another bottle open and gulping it down.

Everyone somehow knew that the name would become appropriate for the bus, as within an hours time there was already garbage and drunken cohorts tossed about the confines.

Russ tried to keep a level-head, sharing such an enclosed space with Murdoc and the others…although he could tolerate everyone else much easier than he could the Satanist.

By the time Avalon was reached, everyone was scrambling to exit the bus faster than rabbits from a snake pit.

The new destination brought a chance to redeem them from the prior gig. The atmosphere already felt different; Better even.

Noodle stepped out into the parking lot and looked up at the venue: A rather large building. The air was glacial, even to breathe it in felt as if it could perma-freeze ones lungs.

"It's bloody cold out here, isn't it." 2D appeared beside her, also staring up at the building. He was wearing a jacket with a plaid scarf, rubbing his hands together.

Noodle shrugged, teeth chattering. She had neglected to pack any scarves, although she was told that most of their tour locations would be in the low 30's to 20's. Surely she could purchase a scarf if a cohort would take her out to the shops. But it was too late in the evening to inquire. Assistants were unloading trucks and preparing for the show...instruments were being hauled about. The tour bus was simply unfeasible to enter; it was being flooded in and out by people, trying to vacate the already unmanageable interior. There was no where to warm up.

Eventually, the young girl wrapped her arms around herself and sighed. Her visible breath floated up onto the icy air. She watched it disappear.

2D happened to catch a glimpse of her frozen frame. He thought for a moment.

She felt something warm wrap around her neck. She looked up to find 2D situating his scarf on her. "Yeh look like some sort'a Eskimo now, Noods."

She stared up at him. "No, no!" She tried to unravel the scarf to give back to him.

2D shook his head. "It's alright, I'm warm-blooded."

Noodle felt prompted to deny his gesture once more, but the instant addition of warmth changed her mind. She glanced at the plaid material cascading down her shoulders and instinctually sunk further into it.

"Stuart Pot….um….._Noodle_? We're ready for you inside." A woman dressed in a loose trench coat approached them. She had a checklist in her arms and a dangling backstage pass around her neck. She peered at them cynically.

2D blinked. "Well then, 'bout time! Colder than my grandmother's house at Christmas time out here!…..On my Dad's side, that is."

The woman adjusted her glasses. "Right..."

2D grinned. "The name's '2D,' yeh know."

The woman didn't look amused. "Yes…I'm aware. I'm your backstage director."

2D stared. "Oh! Well then…it's a pleasure!" He reached forward and shook her hand lightly.

Noodle watched as the director slipped her hand out of his grasp, clutching onto her clipboard. She bluntly responded, "Likewise."

2D was smiling like a fool. He had the tendency to try and swoon every semi-attractive woman he met. It was almost like a game; who could get to the good-looking woman first? Murdoc or 2D?

Unfortunately for the singer, bassist won the majority (if not all) of the rounds of these play-offs.

Tired of watching 2D strike out, Noodle proceeded to walk towards the back-entrance of the venue without them. "Ahh! Kore wa meiwakuda!" (Translation: "Ahh! This is annoying!")

Confused, 2D followed after her, the director tracking behind them.

The Avalon gig was underway.

* * *

February 26th, 2002

12:54 a.m.

"Finally. A success!" Murdoc jollily trotted over to one of the large amps on stage and kicked it over.

The gig had gone as planned, much smoother than the Toronto Docks performance. The curtains were open to reveal what had been an immensely crowded auditorium.

The others sat aloof around the stage, pleased with themselves.

"I'm gunna need a throat-soother after that one. "_Punk_" about killed me!" 2D was rubbing his tonsils as he sat on the edge of the stage.

Russ was still sweating profusely, dabbing his head with a towel he had around the back of his neck. He heaved himself up to walk over and pick up the amp that Muds had knocked down. "Respect for the equipment, man."

"Oh, come off it Russ. We're ROCK STARS now. If we break it, we can buy the blokes a new one. Blatantly."

Noodle peered down at her guitar, rubbing some of the fingerprints off the paint with her sleeve. She stayed quiet, letting the men talk amongst one another. However rewarding and alive these gigs made her feel, as soon as they ended, her mind was flooded with obscure thoughts that had been bestowed on her by her many night terrors.

The horrifying screams… the vast confusion. What did it all mean?

"Noods? Yeh comin'?"

She looked up to see that the others were leaving the stage. 2D waited for her by the exit, his hands stuffed in his pockets.

"Oh!" She jumped up and chased after them.

"You've become a right space case, yeh know."

"Usoda." (Translation: "Shut up.")

* * *

Heavy laughter commenced outside the drawn curtains. Noodle lay in her bunk in the tour bus, pondering the first couple gigs and trying desperately to look forward to the many ahead of her.

"And-and then he says….get this…..he says, "But Murdoc, I thought that was a girdle! Bahahahaha!"

Muds was making unfunny references to their days at Kong. Noodle could pick up bits and pieces of what everyone said. She sighed loudly, hoping someone would hear her and lower their voices.

No one did.

She stared at the near ceiling, tracing an imaginary line.

Her thoughts always led her down an unfamiliar, but recognizable trek.

A dirt road, with dust flying up all around her. She could taste the gravel.

She was in the back of a truck, underneath a tarp. The truck was speeding hastily away from some sort of property….a compound.

She watched as the lights got further and further away. She could hear popping noises in the distance.

She felt herself tense up. She had an anxious yearning to jump out of the moving vehicle and run to the compound disappearing behind her. But for some reason, her gut told her to stay hidden.

There was a speed-bump. Her body was jolted up and then back down. The truck came to a halt.

She heard voices.

And someone responding….The driver?

The voice of a man. A voice that sounded so proverbial to her ears.

There were footsteps…..and rustling….a gruff hand was reaching under the tarp.

Her heart felt like bursting, pounding in her ears…..louder, and louder, and louder…..

"AAH!"

Her body shot up and her forehead hit the ceiling with a 'thud.'

"Itai…." (Translation: "Ouch….")

Rubbing her head, Noodle opened her eyes to find herself back in the bunk on the tour bus.

Things outside the curtains were dark and quiet now. She heard someone cough.

She breathed in and out, trying to catch her breath.

Merely another nightmare….

What were these visions? Were they things that her mind conjured from scratch? Had she watched one too many horror films? Or could these on-going terrors possibly be...memories?

Before she could question herself further, she heard someone clear their throat, and her curtains opened slightly.

"Noodle girl, you ok?"

It was Russel. She felt a waft of relief spill over her. She reached for the curtains and pulled them open all the way. "Hai….ok."

"Babe, your face is covered in sweat! Here…" He dug into his pocket and then pulled out a handkerchief.

She hadn't realized how frazzled she must have looked. Slightly embarrassed, she took the cloth he handed to her and dabbed her forehead. "Gomen-nasai Russ-san." (Translation: I'm sorry, Russ.")

"Nah, Noods. It's a'ight. I'm just worried about yah, yah know? You keep havin' these nightmares…..Maybe you need to see someone? A doctor."

She worded out what he was saying quickly on her translator, which had been under her pillow. When it finally gave her a conversion, she looked up and shook her head frantically. "No, no! I am ok! Watashi wa isha o hyōji shitakunai!" (Translation: I don't want to see a doctor!")

Russ was silent for a moment, then huffed a deep sigh. "….Ok, Noods. Whatever yah say. But if yah keep on like this, yah gotta promise to let me know, and we'll find yah some help."

She stared at her translator, reluctant to face him, before nodding.

The big man smiled tiredly at her and then yawned and stretched. "Yah want some water or anything?"

She shook her head. "Īe" (Translation: "No thanks.")

"A'ight then, girl. Get some sleep. Lord knows we got ourselves a mess of things ahead of us."

She smiled as he pulled her curtains shut again, leaving them partially gaped.

She waited and listened as Russ walked back over to his bunk and plopped down. The bus shook a bit as he did so.

Soon, after some rustling of blankets, things fell quiet again. And as soon as it did, the content expression she held for Russel shifted into a low frown.

The screen from her translator lit up the small loft as she sat there glumly. Her forehead still ached from the ceiling impact.

Now she realized that her constant nightmares were not only affecting her, but her band mates as well. She didn't want them worrying about her, keeping them up at night, burdening them with her problems.

This was something she had to fix on her own. She understood that, at least, amongst all the confusion she was drowning in.

She decided it would be best not to bother anyone with these terrors any longer, not until she solved them herself.

She lay down and nestled into the bed, closing her eyes.

Yes, hiding these dreams from her fellow mates would be easy. It was the perfect solution. She didn't want to worry them….

The inside of her eyelids were dark. Slowly, she gained clarity….The darkness was lined with circles, passing over her.

She felt like she was looking up; Up high.

She was in the dark, but there was light above her.

A shadow appeared in florescent beams.

She squinted to see who it was.

A muffled sound emerged from the figure's mouth. Words, growing increasingly profound as seconds stretched on.

"Kore ga yuiitsu no hōhō wa, rikai suru hitsuyō ga arimasu." (Translation: "You must understand, this is the only way.")

Why? What do you mean?

"Anata wa daijōbu sa remasu." (Translation: "You will be alright.")

I will?

"Sayōnara, aisuru ko." ("Farewell, dear child.")

Wait!

A flash of light blew up all around her.

She reached above her head, outstretching her arms in a final desperate attempt to escape; to understand!

"SENSEI!" (Translation: "TEACHER!") She screamed. But her words were swallowed up by the illumination growing brighter and brighter….until….

Her eyes shot open.

Noodle still lay in the same position she had been in when she closed her eyes.

"…Sensei…" (Translation: "….Teacher…") She whispered to herself. Why had she called out to an instructor?

She buried her head into her pillow. She was growing tired of all this stress and obscurity.

She listened to hear if she had woken anyone.

Things seemed dead silent.

In the endless hush, however, she felt more alone than ever. Keeping these things from her band mates was going to be more difficult than first anticipated.

She tried shutting her eyes yet again, but as soon as she felt herself drifting, she stopped herself and forced her lids back open.

She didn't want to sleep; not when she knew what was awaiting her during R.E.M.

She decided that perhaps some fresh air would do her some good…. What else was there to do but lay there and dwindle?

She opened her curtains quietly and swung her legs over, jumping down. She landed with balance. After feeling the sting of the cold floor, she felt around in one of the cupboards harboring her belongings and threw on some slippers and plunged herself into a coat.

She found the front door and reached for the handle. Twisting and pushing it open, the winter air hit her skin like daggers. Somehow, it gave her the peace she was in need of though.

The door creaked a bit as she stepped out and closed it behind her.

She took a deep breath and jumped down onto the cement. The bus was parked behind the building where their gig had been held.

The streets of Boston were still bustling in the distance, but the alleys were quiet. The ground was dark and expectant of snow.

She walked a few feet away from the bus before spotting something out of the corner of her eye. She jumped, not expecting anyone else to be out there.

It was 2D. She could see the outline of him against the city lights, as well as the glow of a cigarette-butt.

Unsure whether or not to disturb him, she kept her distance.

Taking a few steps in the opposite direction, before finding a parking block to sit down on, she curled her knees up to her chest and watched her own breath blow out from her lips.

The pavement beneath her feet shimmered with frost. She could smell 2D's cigarette.

She kept her focus on the view of a nearby trash bin when she heard footsteps coming towards her.

Before long, a tall figure stood beside the parking block where she sat, hands stuffed in the pockets of a hoodie, facing the same direction she was.

After a moment, the figure sat down on the other end of the block, knees bent upward.

Noodle tried to keep composure as he turned to her.

Silence. Clear, irrelevant, exact.

And then,

"…You ok then, Noods?"

She glanced up at him.

"Hai. I am…ok."

2D blew some smoke out between his gapped teeth in the air above them, before flicking the cig off into the darkness.

Noodle watched as the butt landed and dimmed, eventually fading out.

The darkness of the alleys reminded her of the familiar nightmares that enveloped her. Though she wanted so badly to conceal her distress from her band mates, how could she when it was the only thing on her mind?

The still and cold air settled in on their ears.

Some distant honking and city life was heard on occasion.

Noodle tightened her grasp around her coat, trying to stay poised.

"Ano…Watashi wa… dare ka to hanashi o suru. Shikashi, sore wa kanōde wa arimasen." (Translation: "Um….I….just want to talk to someone. But, it is not possible.")

She stared at her feet, unable to think of anything else to say. Thick or not, 2D wasn't going to understand her foreign dialect.

At that moment, she felt a nudge on her upper-arm. She turned to find Stu handing her translator to her. He was grinning, as if he was proud of himself.

Surprised, she took it from his hand and held it in her own.

The screen read something in kanji.

**Anata wa watashi ni hanasu koto ga dekiru**. (Translation: **You can talk to me**.)

Though astonished as to how 2D managed to snake her translator and know exactly what to say, Noodle felt relieved.

**I do not want to cause any concern to anyone. **She typed back.

2D nodded, signifying he understood where she was coming from. He typed away at the translator for awhile before handing it back and leaning forward.

**Anata wa sore nitsuite damatte iru baai-ji ni wa sore ga yori kenen sa reru. Shikashi, anata wa shitakunai baai ****wa hanashi o suru hitsuyō wa arimasen.**** (**Translation: **Sometimes it causes more concern if you stay quiet about it**. **But you don't have to talk if you don't want to**.)

Noodle stayed still for a few minutes, reading his sentence over and over. Right as she began typing a reply, 2D reached over and took it from her again.

When he handed it back, it read: **Anata ga futan o sa rete inai. **(Translation: **You're not being a burden**.)

2D surprised Noodle off and on. His dullard antics sometimes masked a much more intelligent person, worthy of trusting.

Finally she breathed easier and her tension settled.

2D waited patiently, staring off into the night sky, as she put her apprehensions into text.

She finally set it down beside him and hugged her legs, nervous of his reaction.

Picking it up, he began reading.

**I want to say my true words, but unable to converse properly, please accept this translation as a substitute. I have been very troubled. Many dreams every night…they begin unclear, and then build up to fearful images. There are sounds of weaponry and shouting. Counting of numbers and voices speaking around me. I am afraid. But I am also curious. I do not know why these dreams continue to haunt me… the same illustrations in my mind, repeating nightly….once, twice, even three times I am awakening from fear. I feel tired, but unable to achieve proper rest. I do not want to alarm anyone. It feels like I can not connect with another person, so perhaps these dreams have been withheld too long and I am experiencing after effects of none communication. I want to be ok. Forgive me for writing a long sentence.**

2D chewed on his bottom lip, glancing over at the young girl beside him. She was gazing off in the opposite direction, waiting for a response.

Despite her run-on and slightly confusing translation, he understood what she must have been going through. He tried to reply in a well enough way to give her peace of mind, but he couldn't quite put together in words what he wanted to say. The lifestyle Gorillaz led was an outlandish and dark was not difficult to assume that there were elements in Noodle's young life which could lead to terrifying nightmares. 2D always thought back to his home and parents when things got too eerie. But Noodle's past was a mystery…What memories did she have to look back on when fear crept up on her? Perhaps she had nothing happy in her life before Gorillaz?

All options aside, the reasons for the nightmares and actually comforting her were two separate issues.

The 23 year old decided to be as honest as possible.

**Gomen ne. To itte mo daijōbuda. Anata wa kazoku to wa nani anata ni hassei suru kanō-sei ga warui to shite imasu.**(Translation: **I'm** **sorry. It will be ok though. You are with family and nothing bad can happen to you**.)

Noods looked up from the screen. "…Kazoku…..Fam-i-ly?"

2D grinned. "Why not then? Even if bad things happen or yeh got the creeps in yeh head at night, yeh always gunna wake up an' we'll all still be there. Yeh got nothin' ta worry about."

Though she understood very little of his words, listening to his reassuring voice created an involuntary comfort in her.

"Yeh can always come ta us if yeh got a problem. As long as yeh with us, nothin' bad is gunna 'appen to yeh."

Noodle sat and thought. The bits and pieces of 2D's words that she understood made her feel at ease….Even the darkness surrounding them seemed to withdraw.

A lamp-post flickered on above the tour bus, lighting up the concrete. Noodle, in reaction, also felt more lit up. Why had she failed to recognize that the people around her were not only her band mates, but also in some ways her family? Taking this into consideration gave her a sense of security, and the fact in knowing there was safety among them gave her initiative to feel less taunted by her nightmares. Whether they continued or not, at least there would be someone there for her when she woke up. This was reassuring, among all things.

2D wasn't sure if he had made an impact or not, but the blooming expression on her averted face made him think that he might have accomplished something.

Noods held the translator in her hands and then curiously typed in a translation for something she wanted to say outloud.

Stu stood up from the parking block and brushed off the back of his jeans, looking for his pack of cigarettes.

"2D?" Noodle spoke up.

He looked back down at her.

"Thank you."

The vocalist grinned. Yet again, the English words coming from her were pleasant to hear. "Yeh need an escort back inside?"

Noodle stood up now and shook her head. "Watashi wa daijōbu." (Translation: "I'm ok.")

2D nodded as Noodle, cradling her translator in her arms, headed back to the bus.

As she stepped up the stairs and reached for the door handle, she peered back over her shoulder and waved.

2D waved back as she disappeared inside.

There was certainly something uncanny about his little band mate. But however strange things about her were, and however odd it was to have never fluently spoken with her and yet still feel as though he knew her very well, he couldn't ignore the gratification he sensed in aiding her. He'd never been a brother to anyone…so he assumed this was how it must feel.

A cackling laughter and the smashing of a couple trash cans were heard from the alleyway. 2D turned to see Murdoc immerge from the shadows, stumbling over himself. Already, he could smell the scent of alcohol fuming off of the bassist.

"You're back a bit early, eh?" 2D spoke as though he were acknowledging a good friend.

"Oh bugger off." Murdoc slurred, gliding over to stand beside him.

He spotted the box of cigs and snatched them out of the singer's palm.

After digging through his mucky pockets for a match with no luck, 2D reluctantly offered him a lighter.

After puffing on the fag for a few minutes, Muds began to snicker. "You know, 2D, you're too soft." He had witnessed the interaction between his guitarist and vocalist, and decided to pick fun.

The outline of the city illuminated the backdrops of the skyline. Gorillaz' NA tour would flurry on come day break.

"Shut up." 2D replied.

[End Ch. 01]

/Ch. 02 Coming Soon/


	3. Chapter 02  Over & Out

**A/N: It is May 23rd; to commemorate Stuart Pot's 33rd, I thought I would go ahead and update Salt Skin. This chapter is small, I wasn't quite going to end it where I did, but perhaps this gives me more of an initiative to start working on Chapter 03. A reminder that my translations from Japanese to English may not be entirely accurate. Keep in mind again also that I do not ****support the pairing of 2D and Noodle whilst in Phases 1 and 2, however I believe that their relationship grows from there.**

**(For further copyright and story info, please see the A/N in Salt Skin's Prequel.)  
**

**Thank you!**

* * *

-Ch. 02-

_**October 1st, 2002**_

"It's over." Russ had his large hand atop Noodle's head, speaking in a gentle tenor. His bags were by the elaborate front door of Gorillaz' LA abode.

"Russ-san…" The young girl wore a cheerless expression. "Don't-…eh…-forget to-…..-rem-ember me." She was twiddling her fingers, hoping she had said the sentence correctly.

"Noodle girl, I'd never forget yah. Not ever. Yah hear?"

She nodded.

"I'ma be quick about this…. You get to the airport safely, ok? No talkin' to losers out to make a fool of yah. And no wonderin' off to shady places. Be careful out there."

"…..Hai." (Translation: "….Yes.")

The big man was getting choked up. "I don't know where I'll end up….but you try and reach me when yah get yourself settled in someplace." He handed her a piece of paper with a strange address written on it.

She took it and held it tightly in her palm.

Russel went to the front door and picked up his belongings. When he looked over his shoulder, he caught a glimpse of someone coming down the marble staircase.

"Yo 'D."

2D stood aloof on the upper steps. He had a swollen eye and bruises up and down his neck.

"It's been a pleasure, man." The drummer concluded.

The tall vocalist etched out a smile. "Likewise, mate."

Russel tossed one last melancholy grin towards Noodle as he slung one of his bags over his shoulder. "Good luck, babe."

She waved, trying not to look like she was tearing up. She would see him again, she kept telling herself.

The door was opened and shut in a matter of seconds. And just like that, Russel Hobbs was gone.

Little to 2D or Noodle's knowledge, he would stick around the city for a while longer, later returning to the house after the other's dispersal.

The echo of the shutting door was the only sound before it grew silent.

2D sat down on the cold steps.

Noodle stood in the empty foyer, her hands to her sides.

Her taxi would arrive shortly.

The last two remaining members of Gorillaz had very little time before they would part ways, thus separating the band entirely.

It had all ended so abruptly;

Murdoc had gone off the deep end. Their time spent in LA had turned out to be a bust. A movie deal? The idea was preposterous to say the least. All the proposal had done was rip the band apart.

After spending weeks in room 103 of the Sheraton hotel, trying to come up with an apt script, Murdoc's patience wore thin with his band mates; prominently with a naïve Stuart Pot. The bassist had heard one too many green remarks and proceeded to take his frustration out on the ever-clueless 2D. As impatient as one can get with the Cockney, there was no excuse for the attempted assault. If Russel hadn't have intervened, the vocalist may not have survived the strangling. Noodle had seen Muds thrash on 2D in the past, but never to this extent. She had never feared for someone else's life before, and though it aggrieved her to watch the band split up in such a way, she was relieved for 2D's sake. It wasn't good for a person to endure such terrible treatment.

She turned to glance up the marble steps. She felt sorry for the dimwit.

Stu had been staring off into space, classically. When he noticed her gaze, he snapped out of his stupor and stood to walk down the stairs. His sneakers occasionally squeaked on the flooring as he made his way down the steps and over to her side. He reached for her guitar case and bag. "Is this all yeh bringin'?"

Noodle looked at the luggage. "Yes, this is mine."

2D scratched his head, amused by her off reply. "Right then."

Noodle reached for the doorknob and opened it. She thought maybe Russ would still be outside, but there was no sign of him.

She and 2D exited the large house and sat on the stoop beside one another, waiting for her taxi to disembark.

The air was warm; worthy of California climate in early October.

"Yeh got yeh mind right set on this, don't yeh?" Stu spoke sincerely.

Noodle looked at him and nodded. "I am…eeto…..happy to be doing travel."

Her English, though more frequently used, still needed work. 2D grinned. "Can't convince yeh to muck around this place any longer, really. Don't blame yeh. One big sodding mess, this is. Don't plan on stayin' myself."

Noodle reached in her pocket and pulled out her translator, which had come in handy throughout their times together on the North America tour. The two had grown quite fond of one another. She saw him as an ally, and like Russ he was someone she could count on and look to in times of stress. 2D in turn viewed her as a visible light amongst the dark antics of the band. This brought him peace of mind, as he found he grew tired of dealing with Murdoc's Satanism and the whole lot of eerie activities brought on by associating with such murky matters. Russ had stayed in his own mind much of the time, and Murdoc had simply been unapproachable in moments of sought out comfort. Not only had Noodle offered him a consoling friend, but also gave him a congenial feeling; he enjoyed serving as a sibling-figure. In reality, if Stu could offer anyone an ounce of his aid, he felt important and this empowered him to some extent.

Nevertheless, he benefited from his time with the small Japanese girl and it was an unfortunate thing to say goodbye.

After a moment of typing, she handed the device to him.

**I have enjoyed my time with everyone. I hope it is understandable that I must go aboard on this journey to better understand myself.**

2D smiled and typed back: **Sore wa d****aijōbudesu. Watashi wa anata ga soko ni sagashite iru mono o mitsukeru to omoimasu.** (Translation: **It is alright. I hope you find what you're looking for out there**.)

Her nightmares, which held continuous visits throughout the NA tour and well into the Los Angeles stay had not altered Noodle's perseverance, but had awoken an urge in her to comprehend the meaning behind the dreams. She felt, through many months of deliberation, that the imaginings must have had some connection to her blurred out past.

Where had she come from?

Did she have a family?

Why had she been sent to Murdoc by FedEx?

Everything was an immense confusion and something within her yearned for the truth.

Upon this realization, she made up her mind to leave Gorillaz in search of the answers. If she couldn't understand herself, how was she ever to live a happy life? In a room with a switch, but no light bulb to illuminate the dark.

After the hotel incident, she knew it was the right time to depart. Whether or not this would be a temporary leave, she didn't know. There were simply too many things up in the air to worry about whether or not she would return to Gorillaz.

2D sat idle for a while. Some birds chirped in a nearby tree on the gated property. There was really no proper way of saying goodbye….except to, of course, say the word "Goodbye." It felt a bit sad, but neither of them had anything to gain in sticking around 125 Mulholland Drive.

A thought struck Noodle. "Ano…. Anata wa nani o shimasu ka?" (Translation: "Where will you go?")

Stu glanced her way, tilting his head a bit. "….Sorry, what?…"

The young guitarist cracked a short grin. No matter how much English she had learned, he still couldn't comprehend a scrap of her language.

"Sumimasen, eeto….2D, you are…eh…umm…" Unsure how to finish her sentence, she grabbed her translator again and typed away, then handed it to him.

**You are funny! Where will you go from here? Perhaps on your own journey?**

The vocalist chuckled. He began to type a reply when her taxi pulled up through the gates.

A sudden sense of insecurity swept over Noodle. This was it; she was leaving the only sure thing she'd known for so long…. Her surrogate dysfunctional family would become nothing more than a memory. But she reassured herself, given the circumstances, that subject memories were better than having none at all.

2D handed the translator back to her and quickly assisted in loading her luggage into the trunk of the cab.

Noodle stood aside and watched as he then tipped the driver and guaranteed the destination.

Her palms felt sweaty as she clutched the sides of the backpack she wore. She stared down at the pair of slip-on sneakers on her feet and felt her shoulder-length hair slip out from behind her left ear, falling in front of her eyes. She rocked back and forth on her heels, struggling to hold back her pained expression.

Finally 2D returned to her side, towering above her. "Alright then, Noods. Everythin's ready for yeh."

She lifted her head and forced out a smile. "Thank you, 2D-san. Ano…I, ah, Noodle, want to…eh…..thank you for being.. .-great...-bando mate!"

A sentimental expression formed on the Cockney's face. "Yeh bet, love! ….Oh- don't wanna forget this..." He reached behind him and pulled out her disc man. "I put a well awesome album in there. Reckon yeh'll fancy it."

Noodle took the cd player in her grasp tightly, looking down at it.

2D placed a hand on her shoulder, kneeling down. "Good luck, blud. Let me know how things go, yeah?"

She focused hard on keeping her smile as she nodded. "Y-yes!"

2D stood back up as she turned to enter the backseat of the taxi.

Once inside, the vocalist came to the door and shut it behind her.

He glanced through the glass at her for a moment, as she did to him. Looking as if he had forgotten something suddenly, he began to point downward.

She reached over and rolled down the window and he peered in, grinning although his hallow eyes looked sad. "It's _Sayonara_, right?"

Noodle's lip quivered beneath her cheerful expression. "No, no 2D-san! It is _goodbye_."

He laughed slightly. "Well I knew that, then."

She lifted her hand and waved. He returned the gesture.

The cab then began to pull forward. And soon, Stuart Pot went out of view.

"L.A.X, here we come." The driver announced, trying to liven the mood.

As the taxi entered public traffic, Noodle finally let her guard down and reached in her pocket for a neatly folded handkerchief she had stowed there. She twiddled with it in her lap, trying hard not to exert any tears. She had trained herself not to cry in front of others. It was a sign of weakness. But as the situation proved, she had trouble bottling up the poignant feelings.

"You ok back there, little lady?" The cab driver spoke kindly to her.

Noodle nodded, pushing aside her sadness and centering on strength of mind. Gorillaz was behind her now. And what lie ahead was a clearer future. She knew this was the right path to follow.

She sat back in her seat, taking a deep breath.

It was then that she noticed her translator sitting in the seat beside her. She reached for it and noticed that 2D had managed to type a response to her previous inquiry.

Somehow, reading it made her feel better as the taxi pulled onto the freeway.

**Watashi no mawarideshou. **(Translation:** I'll be around.**)

[End Ch. 02]

/TBC/


	4. Chapter 03  Oboete Iru

**A/N: Forgive the long wait, everyone. My summer has been very busy. Ch. 03 of Salt Skin was certainly a difficult one to write. Much of this chapter involves my own assumptions of what may have happened during Noodle's year-long visit to Japan, so certain aspects might seem outlandish. I try to stick to the original plot as best as possible.**

**I really enjoyed working on this part of the story. It gave me a chance to be creative with Noodle's background. She's a highly complex, interesting character, who I find to be more and more fascinating as I craft my own take of her personality and past. I'll definitely try to jump into Ch. 04 when time allows it... I appreciate all of your encouraging reviews thus far. I promise to conjure some good 2D and Noodle moments in the upcoming chapters.**

** A reminder that my translations from Japanese to English may not be entirely accurate. Keep in mind again also that I do not support the pairing of 2D and Noodle whilst in Phases 1 and 2, however I believe that their relationship grows from there.**

**(For further copyright and story info, please see the A/N in Salt Skin's Prequel.)**

** Here are some definitions of foreign words you may come across while reading:**

**Noren (A Japanese doorway Curtain).**

**Kotatsu (a low, wooden table frame covered by a futon).**

**Nijusan (The Japanese word for the number 23. This is the name I decided Noodle might have possessed before being renamed by her band mates).  
**

**Sotoba (a separate wooden board on a stand behind or next to a Japanese grave).**

** Please enjoy reading and thank you!**

* * *

-Ch. 03-

_**October 14**__**th**__**, 2003**_

The buildings touched the sky. She stared up at them with esteem and a bit of intimidation.

Her trek had been long and her feet had grown weary. The soles of her shoes were nearly worn and she hadn't the funds to purchase new ones. Her share of the Gorillaz income was decreasing and she wasn't sure what she would do if it ran out. She refused to leave Japan however until her journey was fulfilled.

The streets had been unkind to her. Or rather, had failed to provide her with the essential evidence to endow her with truth. But the desire to somehow discover the unknown drove her onward; down alleyways, into ancient shrines, across open crop fields, and up dusty roads into the bright lights of cities.

She had initially thought that surely the larger metropolises of Japan would harbor some indication to light her darkened path. But Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka had given her nothing more than hundreds of yakisoba meals and plentiful stays at capsule hotels.

There was one lead, however, and one lead alone that gave her incentive to journey onward: Her continuous visions of military bases and the dreams of a respectful figure placing her in the crate that had been sent to Murdoc Niccals. Who had that person been and what had she been involved with before her memory had overlapped itself into the life of Gorillaz?

The urge to know pressed her curiosity foreword, and the further she went, the clearer her mind became.

One day while mapping out her next route in Tokyo, which she planned would take her to the Harajuku district, an older woman had perceived her from across a bustling crowd of tourists. At first Noodle hadn't noticed the woman's gaze. But soon, the elder was scuffling along the sidewalk towards her.

The young guitarist, taken aback, stood from her seat on the curbside as the woman looked her up and down.

"Shitsurei shimashita, Go reijō." (Translation: "Excuse me, young lady.")

Noodle bowed her head.

"Anata ga aisuru, tohō ni kureta hyōjō. Anata wa nin'i no herupu ga hitsuyōdesu ka?" (Translation: "You look lost, dear. Do you need any help?")

Noods shook her head. "Arigatō, nai. Watashi wa daijōbudesu." (Translation: Thank you, but no. I'm alright.")

The old woman nodded. "Sate sate, kodomo." (Translation: "Alright, child.")

As the elderly woman turned to walk away, she paused. Her saggy eyes glanced upward at the distant Tokyo Tower. She smiled and turned back to Noodle. "Sore wa sutekina ichi-nichidesu. Tō kara machi no utsukushii keshiki ga arimasu. Moshi kyōmi ga arunara, sore wa muryō no tsuā no tame ni kono shūmatsu ippan kōkaidesu." (Translation: "It's a lovely day. There's a beautiful view of the city from the tower. It's open to the public for free tours this weekend if you're interested.")

Noodle cocked her head. Although she cared very little about paying a visit to the tower, she didn't want to disrespect the woman's kind suggestion. She grinned and acted interested. "Honma-ni?" (Translation: "Really?")

The woman nodded, but half way through her gesture she slowed herself and came a bit closer to the preteen. "Kodomo wa, watashi ga motomeru koto ga dekiru baai. Naze anata no oya nashide ie kara kore made no tokorodesu?" (Translation: "Child, if I may ask. Why are you so far from home without your parents?")

Noodle grew confused. Who was to say she wasn't native to the city? "E eto... ... . Watashi wa jitaku kara tōku de wa nai yo. Watashi wa, Tōkyō de koko de okusama ga sunde imasu." (Translation: "Um….I'm not far from home. I live here in Tokyo, ma'am.") She lied.

The wise old woman lowered her brow, gazing into Noodle's face. "Sonogo, oyurushi, aisuru. Sore wa anata ga Ōsaka no chiiki ni kyōtsū no hōgen o motte iru yō ni mieru dake no kotodesu. Watashi jishin wa soko kara ōku no yūjin ga atta." (Translation: "Pardon me then, dear. It's just that you seem to have a dialect common to the Osaka region. I myself have had many friends from there.")

The younger girl stepped forward a bit; her breath catching in her throat. Osaka? … Somehow the very mentioning of the city made her gut churn with familiarity. She'd traveled and searched there many times, but perhaps she hadn't been looking for the right things. Was this the clue she'd been waiting for?

Without further delay, she bowed her upper body so far down that she could have touched her toes. "Arigatō! Son'nani arigatō!" (Translation: Thank you! Thank you so much!")

Before the woman could respond, Noodle was off in a sprint into the crowd. Confused, she watched her disappear. "Saikin no wakamono." (Translation: "Kids these days.")

The guitarist soon found herself on the next train out of Tokyo. And within a couple hours, she arrived in Osaka.

Standing at the train station gazing out at the landscape of the city, Noodle thought that perhaps the scenery would start to become recognizable. But to her dismay, everything looked just as large and forbidding to her as it had the several times she'd been there before.

She grimaced and sat down on a bench to count her money and feed her chirping Tamagotchi pet. The digital creature was always hungry… It had become a nuisance, but for some reason she couldn't bring herself to let it die.

The funds she had in her pocket were officially deteriorating. She had enough money for train fair, a few more meals, and one more stay in a hotel. What was she to do after that?

She got up and pushed her way through the crowds of people, on her own and unsure of her surroundings.

Had this journey been a mistake?

It was in times such as these when she felt so alone that she often brought her thoughts to her ex-band mates and where they might be at that moment. It had been nearly a year since she'd left Los Angeles, venturing to her native land in search of the answers to her scratched out past. At first she had been fully confident in her quest, but as the months passed by without any luck, she began to wonder what she would do if she didn't succeed. She no longer wanted to live a tentative life….. The light at the end of the tunnel was so close, if only she had some sort of indication that Osaka would truly shed light upon her questions.

She did what she assumed would be the most valid course of action: she spoke out loud.

Approaching several groups of Osaka-bred individuals, she began inquiring about her appearances and if anyone knew of a family that resembled her mannerisms or features.

It shouldn't have been a surprise that younger folks pointed out her resemblance to the little guitarist from that British band that had become popular in Japan a year or two prior.

Noodle would laugh their comments off and quickly flee. As much as she didn't like to disregard fans, this was no time to focus on stardom. She wasn't here for Gorillaz, she was here for herself.

She pressed on, trying to focus more on the older generation; People who wouldn't know of her fame and instead pick out the traits she hoped she harbored in comparison to a family that lived in the area.

No one knew a thing. Some didn't even pay her a second glance.

It became a heartache, continuously asking and gaining no feedback. It got to the point where she was amongst a large throng of people, unable to get any of their attention.

"Sumimasen ga..." (Translation: "Excuse me…") "E eto... Oyurushi?" (Translation: "Um…Pardon me?") "Kudasai, watashi wa gimon o motte iru!" (Translation: Please, I have a question!") "Daredesu ka?..." (Translation: "Anyone?...")

After hours of unremitted questioning, Noodle finally gave up. Even if there was a family in Osaka she was related to, it was too large a conurbation to presume that someone would distinguish her from the hundreds of other people.

The backpack and guitar case she carried with her was beginning to weigh her down. Her pace through the masses began to lessen in haste. Soon, she was watching the ground, dragging her feet.

Tired, she stopped in the middle of a street. "Naze watashi mo shiyou to shite imasu?..." (Translation: Why am I even trying?...") She asked herself aloud, sighing heavily.

Her slow pace led her back to the train station and before long she found herself returning to Tokyo; once again a failure in her attempts to understand her past.

It wasn't long after she disembarked the station that a delicious scent greeted her nose.

Still feeling discouraged, she raised her head to find herself standing in front of a little restaurant nestled at the entrance of an open-air marketplace.

She felt her mouth water… She hadn't eaten since the night before; trying to preserve what little money she had left. But upon gaining nothing after an entire day of search, all she could think of to alleviate herself was a wholesome meal.

She nearly decided to find a different place; to pass by the dingy-looking restaurant in front of her. But the aromas emerging from the building were too enticing and her stomach escorted her in.

Upon entering through the noren, she discovered that the steamed fish shop was quite crowded; it was a struggle to get to a table through the lines of people waiting to be served.

When at last she seated herself, she stretched her neck in an attempt to see what the special of the day was….However, there were too many free-roaming heads in the way of the menu on the wall.

She slid her guitar case and backup under her feet and kept her head low as a group of school girls walked in.

They appeared to be her age. Noodle watched them talk and laugh amongst each other, their uniforms finely pressed and their little trinkets sparkling off the ends of their cell phones.

For a brief moment, Noods wondered to herself what it would have been like had she never been separated from her life in Japan. Perhaps she too would be wearing a school uniform, worrying about love letters and studies, hanging out with friends, and choosing snacks at the local mart.

Could there still be a life like that waiting for her here?

It seemed so surreal; the possibility of normality.

As she sat there waiting for service, she couldn't help overhearing the girls' conversation…..

"Soshite, nani o eyou to shite iru?" (Translation: "And what are you going to get?")

"Watashi wa shiranai, watashi wa kinō - o tabeta..." (Translation: "I don't know, I ate the - yesterday…"

"Futatabi? Hontōni?" (Translation: "Again? Really?")

"Anata ga jūryō o eru tsumorida!" (Translation: You're going to gain weight!")

All of a sudden, Noodle's heart hastened in pace. What had they just said? She glanced up a bit. The girls were standing on their tip toes trying to see the menu.

"Ichi-nichi no tokubetsu to wa nanidesu ka?" (Translation: What is the special of the day?") One of them asked another.

"Sore wa, futatabi umi - no kotode wa arimasen." (Translation: "Its ocean - again, isn't it."

Noodle grasped the edge of her shirt. She wanted to ask them what they were saying, but when she tried to raise her voice, she had trouble emitting any sound. "N-nani?" (Translation: "Wh-what?")

It wasn't long before the girls were moving up in the line towards the front. Noodle, having still not understood them, pushed herself to her feet quickly. What was it? What was it that made her gut churn and her legs feel weak? "Sumimasen, onegai shimasu!" (Translation: "Excuse me, please!") She called out.

Suddenly, as if perfectly timed, Noodle's small frame ran right into a waiter who had been carrying a tray of food. The shattering of glass and the waiter's stunned reaction caused everyone's head to turn.

Noodle's heart was racing. She stared down at the mess on the floor. The mess of…..

Ocean bacon?

The world stood still.

"Umi…. bēkon?" (Translation: Ocean…bacon?") She asked out loud.

Glancing up, she saw the menu in the front. The special of the day: Ocean Bacon.

The school girls huddled together as one whispered: "Watashi-tachi no umi no bēkon de wa nai yoi koto." (Translation: Good thing that wasn't our ocean bacon."

Noodle looked back at the waiter, who was now trying to clean up the scattered food. "Ā, iya, nai umi no bēkon!" (Translation: "Oh no, the ocean bacon!")

Someone slammed a plate down onto the kitchen counter at the front of the restaurant; a bell was rung shortly after. "Umi bēkon! Umi no bēkon no izure ka no junban!" (Translation: "Ocean bacon! One order of ocean bacon!")

There was a serge of realization; a rush of blood. Noodle's eyes widened and she placed both hands over her flushed cheeks. Everything….She remembered _everything_!

Just then, a man ran out from the back room wearing a dirty apron. "Nani ga okotta no ka?" (Translation: "What has happened?")

He froze when his eyes met the small guitarist's.

Noodle let out a short gasp, "Kyuzo….sensai…."

The chef dropped a soup spoon he was holding and it made a loud clunk on the floor. "Nijusan."

As the room began to creak from the silence, Kyuzo straightened his expression. He first directed his words towards the waiter and then to the rest of the customers: "Baka! Sono konran o kurīn'appu! Dare mo ga, junban ni susunde kudasai." (Translation: Idiot! Clean that mess up! Everyone, please continue to order.")

Noodle's hands were shaking with anticipation. As the chef turned to re-enter the back room, he looked back over his shoulder and motioned for her to follow.

She nodded, grabbing her things quickly and pushing her way through the crowd; everyone staring at her as she did so.

* * *

After passing through a busy kitchen and gliding down a flight of stairs, the room Noodle found herself in was homey. Pictures hung on the walls and a kotatsu table inhabited the middle of the quarters.

She was nervous, but tried to speak as formally as possible. "Kore wa... anata no ie?" (Translation: "This is….your home?")

"Sore wa imadesu." (Translation: "It is now.") The man replied.

A clock ticked in the background.

As Noodle searched her mind, she laughed a bit under her breath. Everything she had questioned, everything that had seemed blurry to her was suddenly so clear. She could remember things she hadn't even imaged…. And it was all compiling in her mind at an alarming rate.

She sat on her knees on one of the pillows, her hands neatly folded in her lap. When she looked up at the man who had been apart of her life years before, she couldn't help but feel a vast amount of gratitude towards him. "Watashi wa mada konran shite iruga, watashi wa jibun jishin no yori kakujitsu kanjita koto ga nai… Kyuzo-sensai." (Translation: "Although I am still confused, I've never felt more sure of myself…. Teacher Kyuzo."

He adjusted his glasses and set a cup of tea down in front of her. "This must be very overwhelming for you."

English? The words were as lucid to her as Japanese.

"Watashi wa eigo o rikai dekimasu ka?" (Translation: "I can understand English?")

"You can also _speak_ it….As well as many other idioms beyond your native tongue."

She sat still for a moment before placing a hand over her mouth in disbelief. "I…can?"

The English words emerged from her voice smoothly; as if she'd been fluent in the language for years.

Kyuzo chuckled for a moment before re-maintaining his serious composure. "Nijusan….dear child, I won't lie, I am happy to see you again. You've grown _so_; a young lady sits before me. But why have you returned to Japan? I know all too well of your fulfilling life across seas. You've met wonderful people who have taken care of you. Why would you come in search of this depressing life?"

Depressing? Noodle felt anything _but_ depression as she glanced around the room.

"Nijusan…that was my name, wasn't it? Or rather…my number." She glanced up at the teacher, who nodded briefly. She continued: "Kyuzo-sensai, I _have_ met good people who have tended to me. But my life has been far from gratifying…. I've been lost in my own mind for so long, unable to recollect anything from my past. Who I was or where I came from has been a mystery to me….. I needed to find you; to find the answers; in order to recover this thing you refer to as a fulfilling life."

Kyuzo sighed heavily, staring at the tea Noodle hadn't touched. "I was afraid that one day you would grow curious of your missing memories and come in search of me. I hoped that you wouldn't, but it's been your right to know where you come from and who you truly are….. It was unfair of me to take those things away from you, and for that I ask for your forgiveness. However, you _must_ understand that it was for your own good at the time."

Noodle, although having now completely remembered her past, sat unsure of what Kyuzo spoke of. The entire event that led up to her loss of memories was extremely vague to her. "What happened…._that_ night?"

Kyuzo's face wrinkled: His age was now more visible in the light of the room. "It seems like a blur to me now as well….. But that's simply because I choose not to remember." He looked up at Noodle with sad eyes behind his glasses. "You're the only one left."

Noodle felt confused by his statement, but as she sat and recalled the many dreams she'd had of gun fire and bloodshed, she felt a lump form in her throat. Suddenly she remembered the children she'd at one time called her brothers and sisters; the 22 other individuals, beside herself, who had been apart of a private military project run by Kyuzo and many other note-worthy personnel. Each of their faces flashed through her mind, and as they did so, she had to blink away the urge to cry. Kyuzo hadn't raised her to be weak, and she wasn't about to show her resurfaced sorrow in front of him.

However, he too looked as though he had to shun away the cheerless emotions building within him.

After a few minutes of silence, the guitarist spoke up, her voice cracking. "But why? …..Why did that have to happen? I don't understand….."

"The Japanese government pulled the plug on our project. Each of you were so well-equipped and superior for your age, in not only personalized talent, but highly complex combat skills. It could have only taken one of you to become a threat to civilization, had you decided to rebel from our directive. It was too much of a risk, and so it was decided to end the project and terminate each of you. One evening, we were told to conjugate the 23 children. You were to stand tall and unafraid as the government men disposed of you, one by one. I fought for your lives, but they turned me away each time I begged to change the circumstances. I'd come up with an advanced technology that could erase your memories and enable you to live healthy and normal lives. But the government was too afraid that one of you might somehow regain the information you'd been taught. There was nothing I could do."

Again, Noodle fought back tears. "….Why wasn't I killed then? ….Why was I the only one they spared?"

"You weren't." Kyuzo lowered his head. "I was only able to save _you_. It was a heartbreak that I'll never recover from; having to only choose one. You were _all_ like my children…. But you, out of the rest, had the most potential in gaining an ordinary life away from military confinement. You had a spark in you; an inspiring prospective for greatness. I took you away that night. I hid you from them and got you to an airport, sending you to a place where I knew you would be able to exercise your greatest gift."

"…The musical sense." She spoke to herself, realizing just how profoundly immense her knowledge of music truly was.

Kyuzo put on a partial smile. "I should have known that you would outsmart the memory-erasing technology eventually. You were always so bright; perhaps it was foolish of me to create an unlocking key word."

Though she tried to hide it, the heart wrenching realization of all her truths overwhelmed young Noodle to the point that she asked to be excused for a moment to the restroom.

Once safely locked inside the lavatory, Noodle threw a hand over her mouth and shut her eyes tightly, leaning over the sink. She struggled to fight back a few whimpers of anguish. If Kyuzo knew she was crying, she would feel ashamed.

It was no wonder that her memory wouldn't let her forget, even when everything had supposedly been erased. The visions which had haunted her for years had all been real, and a part of her had always kept those realities looming in the depths of her subconscious.

During this bleak moment in the restroom, something inside Noodle wished she hadn't remembered any of it at all. She tried to think of something…_anything_ to bring her mind out of the dark:

2D tripping over one of the microphone cords during rehearsal.

She emitted a quiet laugh, looking up at her reflection in the mirror hanging above the sink.

She dabbed her eyes with a tissue and reminisced on how silly she would feel if Murdoc were to find her like this. She could hear his cackling voice: "Stop pissing out your eyes and suck it up, then! You're guna sink the place, and if we're going to relive that bloody Titanic movie, at least let me grab me water wings."

Again, she laughed, hugging her arms around herself to keep the chills off her skin.

She envisioned for a moment Russel's big arms surrounding her, making her feel safe.

These things brought her back to a level intellect.

After a few minutes of collecting herself, she returned to the other room and sat back down in front of her mentor.

She breathed in and out, pushing back her mourning enough to smile at him.

This man, to her, was like her father.

"What will you do, Nijusan? Now that you remember." Kyuzo asked, disregarding her 10 minute retreat to the restroom.

"Noodle." She glanced upward into his eyes.

"Eh?"

"They call me Noodle." She grinned, fondly referencing her times with Gorillaz.

Kyuzo couldn't help but shake his head. "How …creative of them."

"An impractical name. But I've grown affectionate towards it. ….It's much better than a number."

He nodded.

"I understand, Kyuzo-sensai. They pushed you out of the military and you now live the life you do in order to avoid them. In respect to this, I too will avoid the Japanese government. I know you've gone through a lot in order to conceal me. For this, I thank you with all my heart."

"Child, I know you will do everything in your power to steer away from them. However, they've never stopped questioning what became of you. Naturally, the government knows you survived the elimination. They were sent to dispose of all 23 children, not just 22. Their mission was never fulfilled due to this, and so they've never stopped searching for you."

Noodle bit her lip nervously. "How has my musical fame not lured them to me?"

"I imagine they have not realized it is you. However, they may know very well who you are and simply haven't been able to take action. You _do_ live under the watchful eye of another worldly government. It becomes a hardship for one nation to invade another just to retrieve one child."

Things were quiet for a moment. Kyuzo sipped on his tea.

"This is why," He continued, "it's not entirely safe for you to visit me here. They've surely been tracking your movements across Japan for quite some time."

Noodle felt no fear in the government, but the thought that she wasn't safe in her own country ignited anger in her. Instead of arguing her case however, she nodded in agreement to Kyuzo's words. As much as she wanted to appose his warning, it wasn't only her safety at risk, but his as well that she had to consider.

As the room settled once again, some final thoughts drifted through Noodle's flourishing mind.

"Kyuzo-sensai…." She began. He looked across the table at her. "There's one last thing I've been curious about. Though I recollect all of my times with you and the military project, I still can't recall my birth parents…or my life before the military."

He studied her with a stern face. She looked eager, but also fearful.

"Forgive me, Nijusan. Your birth parents are no longer living. When the project first began, we purposely chose 23 orphaned brood. When I first met you, you were a mere toddler. You can't remember anything beyond your military years because there wasn't much outside of them."

Noodle shouldn't have felt sad at that moment. To ache for people she had no memories of was obscure. But she found herself choking up, realizing just how much she had been hoping there was a family for her out there….a real family, with blood relation.

Kyuzo placed his now empty cup to the side of the table.

"….Was there…_any_ information about me at all? Where I was born, who my mother and father were?" She pressed further.

The mentor stood slowly and walked over to a file cabinet sitting in an open office. When he returned, he set a manila envelop in front of her.

She stared at it and then back at him.

"This was the only recorded orientation of your family the orphanage possessed." He straightened his glasses.

She carefully opened the envelop and pulled out a charred-looking newspaper. There was scratched out kanji and missing parts of paragraphs, but one thing stood out clearly in bold print.

"Family lost in Osaka fire: One survivor." She read out loud.

Kyuzo's eyes lowered.

"Osaka…. So I _am_ from there."

As Noodle tilted the envelop down to push the paper back in, a tiny wrinkled note fell out. She unfolded it to reveal words and numbers.

"That is the address of the cemetery your family rests at." Kyuzo announced.

She gazed at the small hand-written note, yearning to know more.

He cleared his throat suddenly, causing her to jump. "I'm sure they would love for you to visit them." His raspy voice spoke softly.

Noodle held the piece of paper tightly in her hands. Finally, she thought. _Finally_.

* * *

_**October 15**__**th**__** 2003**_

With a heavy sigh, Noodle stepped off the city bus.

With her backup and guitar case well assembled on her shoulders, she glanced down at the address in her hands and then focused her youthful eyes on a stone sign outside a gated hillside.

"Kore ga soredesu." (Translation: "This is it.") She spoke quietly to herself as she bowed and then proceeded through the entrance.

Inside was a cobble path that weaved around heavy stone monuments; wooden sotobas with names etched on them scattered the scenery.

She swallowed hard and walked forward, reading each sotoba as she went. Some monuments had the names engraved in stone rather than on the wooden planks.

At last, her eyes caught the names of the two people she had at one time known, though her memory wouldn't allow her the privilege of commemoration.

She stood awkwardly at the grave for a few minutes, shifting her weight from one foot to the other.

It wasn't long before her eyes caught a glimpse of something sticking out from behind the monument.

She knelt down and reached for it carefully.

What she pulled out from the dirt was a very old, scratched up photo…..A piece of her past that someone had left there long ago; perhaps a distant relative, or someone her family had known.

The photo held the endearing image of two young people; her parents; sitting on a sea shore with a small child in-between them pointing towards the camera.

Noodle's hair fell in front of her eyes.

That child was her.

When she shook her bangs back, she had fought off tears and replaced them with a grin. "Okāsan, Otōsan." (Translation: "Mom, Dad.") "Sore wa anata o mite yoi kotoda." (Translation: "It's good to see you.")

Still holding the photo, she stood back up.

The breeze hit her face as she imaged this must have been the most recent photograph of her and her parents before they were taken from her by the fire.

They looked happy.

She wanted so badly to remember them, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't.

That was alright though. The photograph served as closure for her. She had truly lived a normal life at one time, and although she longed to know what that normal life had been like, the truth was she now led a very _un-normal_ life for good reasons. She was able to accept that now.

She pulled out from her pocket a recent photo of Kyuzo and herself, taken before she had left Tokyo the day prior.

She held the two photographs up next to each other and then felt as though something was missing.

She hated to admit it openly, but the family portrait she held up for herself felt very empty without the face of Murdoc Niccals included. For that matter, Stuart Pot and Russel Hobbs were missing as well. She felt the urge to obtain a proper portrait of her band mates to place alongside the others.

It was something she'd always known, but hadn't quite seen the imperativeness of until now: She already had a family. Somehow she knew that her birth parents would be proud and happy for her; the thought of which made her want to achieve great things in their honor.

She placed both photos side by side in her backpack and then took a deep breath. Whatever she did from that moment on would be for the sake of her truest mission in life; the mission she had unfortunately forgotten until regaining her memories. To create true, enriching, and inspirational music for the world, to illuminate and ignite that spark in her that Kyuzo had envisioned and saved, and to keep living as earnestly as possible in respect for her late parents, who would continue to prosper through her.

There was quite a lot weighing on her small shoulders, she realized. But the sense of responsibility towards these things empowered her. They made her want to _live_.

She needed to find her band again; to pull them back together. They needed her just as much as she needed them.

Noodle placed a hand on her parent's monument and closed her eyes.

"Watashi ni kōun o inorimasu." (Translation: "Wish me luck.")

[End Ch. 03]

/TBC/


	5. Chapter 04 Zombies & Sombreros

**A/N: Look who's still alive!** **I want to apologize to all of my readers for taking so long to update. My life has been very hectic with college and a late-night job**, **so there's been very little time for me to do anything, let alone the things I love.** **Rest assured that I haven't given up on _Salt Skin_ and I'll do my best to have more frequent updates. **

**Chapter 04 was a fun one to work on...and truth be told, I've had the majority of it completed for quite some time. It wasn't until last night that I decided to put my foot down and throw in the finishing touches. Finally, we enter phase 2. I think Phase 1 was the hardest for me to write, simply because of all the Japanese translations. I'm looking forward to writing the Phase 2 chapters. There's going to be quite a few, so brace yourselves. I promise to liter them with plenty of 2D and Noodle interaction though.  
**

**If any of you would like to keep in touch with me, I'm quite active on Tumblr. My username is raptinsound.  
**

**Anyone else excited about _Do Ya Thing_? I think the current Gorillaz activity has inspired me to pick up the pace with my writing. **

**As always, thank you for supporting my fan fiction. Encouraging words are always appreciated.**

**Enjoy reading!**

* * *

-Ch. 04-

_The lights are off, but someone's home._

Sudden pulsation interrupted what was a hushed room.

A dim ambiance cast long shadows against plain white walls as two silhouettes breathed in and out carelessly.

The pulsation grew louder.

A lanky arm reached out from beneath the warm sheets of a bed in attempts to grab the cellular device on a nearby night stand.

A slight beeping and vibration announced an incoming message.

After missing several times, the hand at last grasped the phone and reeled it into the blankets.

A soft moan echoed through the room, followed by the rustling of cotton. "….Stu….mm.."

The room was tranquil once more, except for the supple typing of buttons.

"…Turn it off and go back to sleep." The tired voice pled half-heartedly.

Silence.

Suddenly, a messy haired Stuart Pot sat up with haste. The cell phone screen lit up his stunned expression as he read the newest text message in his inbox.

Within a moment's time, he was out of bed and dressing clumsily in the dark.

A nearby clock read 5:23 a.m.

He chewed on an unlit cigarette as he shimmied into some jeans, grabbed a pair of high-top converse, and left the room without a word.

A few seconds later, a topless girl looked up from the opposite side of the bed and blinked her weary eyes. "….Stu?"

* * *

_**March 3**__**rd**__**, 2004**_

His phone vibrated consistently in his back pocket as 2D embraced the toned upper-body of his new close friend.

"Don't get the shit beat out'a yah, 'D."

"Yeh don't have to tell me twice, mate. It's been ace being in Eastbourne, but I can't get this feeling out'a my head….. Like a rhythm of sorts….. Yeh get what I'm saying?"

Shane Lynch smirked. "Whatever, man. I'll take your word for it. Just stay out'a trouble."

The vocalist grinned, "Sorry if me dad gives you any lip about this later."

The Irishmen patted 2D's shoulder and then gave him a gentle shove towards the taxi cab waiting patiently at the curbside. "Don't worry about it. I can handle your pa."

2D tossed one final glance at the place he'd become familiar with over the past year and a half. The Tusspot fairgrounds, owned by his father, spread out behind Shane's silhouette as the morning sun rose in the early spring sky.

Although it was a sad event, 2D felt that he had overstayed his welcome. His soul yearned to vegetate elsewhere.

He climbed into the backseat of the taxi and told the driver to head for the highway. With a surge of confidence, he threw in a "An' step on it!"

From the street corner, Shane tossed a wave at the vehicle as it pulled out into the street. "Bloke's guna get 'imself killed out there."

* * *

2D finally pulled his cellular from the back pocket of his jeans to reveal 10 missed calls: All from his mother. He grimaced as he brought the device to his ear to listen to her voicemails.

Her usual caring voice was in hysteria: "STUART! Have you gone mad? How could you do this to poor Anna? She's calling me in tears! Your father and I are outraged that you'd even _think_ of returning to that wretched lifestyle! If you know what's best for you, you'll return to Eastbourne immediatel-"

2D pulled the phone away and pressed end.

Mrs. Tusspot, as good-intentioned as she was, had been trying to set him up with old flings from the moment he'd arrived back in England. Though he was flattered by his newly-discovered popularity with the ladies, none of the zealous encounters brought him much fulfillment….. The most he got out of each meet and greet was a couple of shags and several sets of stained bedding. One girl in particular, Anna, who had been a crush of his during his teenage years and had paid him no heed at the time, had been loitering around his father's fairgrounds for the past few months in an attempt to court the blue-haired vocalist. He would have been happily accepting of this, had he been younger and still in love with her. But she and the many other birds of his past had permanently nestled themselves into grimy lifestyles, and 2D's precedent expectations, however ambiguous, had risen.

Looking back down at his cell phone, he clicked through his text messages. The last one he had received was from earlier that morning… He read it over and over in his head as if the English characters were foreign to him.

[N00dle; 00:5:23] 2D, this is Noodle! Hope ur doing well, where ever u r. Forgive the sudden message, I know it has been awhile & I'm sure u r busy, but I've been working on sum new demos Kong & jw if u'd like to add vocals to them?

Stu hadn't seen or heard from any of his band mates since their split in L.A.

Noodle's message, though certainly unexpected, was like a beacon of light in the dark tunnel he'd been trekking through for the past 17 months. It was his go-signal.

Upon arriving in Eastbourne, he'd given himself time to grow as a person; to re-establish his dignity and assemble a new outlook on life. However, he consistently felt unsatisfied. There was ground he still needed to cover and obstacles he wanted to face.

He yearned to sing again.

He wanted to return to Kong with a vengeance and a new prospect.

The last time he'd been together with all 3 of his Gorilla-brood was a sour memory that he avoided visiting. For months he had struggled to re-obtain the valor and self-respect that Murdoc Niccals had so callously taken away from him. But finally, 2D felt that it was time to confront the bass player and demand admiration.

Surely Murdoc, as disdainful as he was, would return to Kong upon Noodle's request. And when he did, 2D would already be there, waiting for him at the front door with confident hallow eyes and a fist full of justice.

He longed for that moment of retribution. He would no longer put up with any abuse.

Noodle's message had come at the perfect time.

He tightened his grip on his cell phone as the taxi turned onto the main highway.

On the screen, a composed message was waiting to be sent:

[2D; 00:9:34] On my way.

* * *

Noodle stood at the gaping entrance of a dark garage with a wide grin on her face. The cloudy sky above didn't detour her noticeable enthusiasm. After months of preparation, she had finally deemed it the appropriate time to reassemble her band mates to the place where their talents could once again merge.

Despite separating on dire terms, Noodle felt that this Gorillaz reunion would be a positive one. She had big plans for them: Bigger than she could describe through short text or letter.

She held a cassette tape in her hands tightly, beaming as a large white van pulled up the paved driveway.

It parked a ways off from her. Unsure who was inside the windowless vehicle, Noods held her breath.

Like an old-western film, a pair of spurred boots landed in the gravel beneath the driver's door. A gust of wind picked up as a pale face greeted the moldy air from behind a wide sombrero.

"Well then, aren't you a sight for sore eyes, love."

* * *

2D's taxicab had driven a multi-hour journey towards the rolling hills of Essex. His dented eyes danced around the scenery; just as grey and sodden as he remembered it.

The car made a treacherous incline towards a gated entrance, where the driver stopped and looked over his shoulder at the blue-haired ninny, who was gazing out the window mindlessly.

"Excuse me, sir. Are you sure this is the correct address?"

2D folded his hands together, almost a bit nervous. "This is it alright."

The cab driver cleared his throat and turned back around, staring up at the tall gates. "Do I just pull forward? Or is there a passcode…"

2D leaned forward, trying to remember himself how the gates opened and closed for visitors.

"Yeh know, I'm not rightfully sure…" The vocalist confessed mildly.

It wasn't long before the cab driver noticed an electric black box on the right-hand side of the entrance and gestured towards it solemnly. "Might _that_ solve the mystery?"

2D blinked and then grinned. "Oh, right. Heh…Sorry about that, mate. Let me just-" As he got out of the cab to use the keypad on the black box, the driver screeched out in fear.

2D jumped and looked over his shoulder in confusion. "What the hell's the matter?"

The cab driver was trembling in his seat with his nose pressed to the stirring wheel. "…I…I just saw something right disturbing out of the corner of my eye."

The tall singer stared at the driver as if he were mad. "Uh…Well, I'm sure it was nothin', mate. Here, got the passcode typed in. Ready to pull forward?" He sat back down in his car seat and waited impatiently.

The cab driver took a deep breath and shifted into first gear, pulling ahead reluctantly.

The property they entered through the gates was a vast landscape of filth.

"Sir…If you don't mind me asking, what is this place?"

2D thought for a moment before replying. "It's me band's headquarters….. Used to be a landfill, I think. Or was it some sort of graveyard?"

Again, something caught the driver's eyes. Though it was difficult to make out, he almost certainly saw a decomposing arm sticking out from the rubble.

His heart began to pound as 2D chuckled, "No wait, I think it was both?…Maybe? Oh well."

In front of them, a large white building with immaculate windows came into view.

2D's chest tightened. This was it: Kong Studios. There was no turning back now. Eastbourne was officially a thing of the past…..and what lay before him was a second chance at success and redemption.

The taxi came to a stop near a garage door. The driver skittishly stepped out to help the singer with his luggage, keeping a wary eye on his surroundings as he did so.

As 2D's last bag was set onto the ground, the driver held out a quivering hand. "Pleasure to be of service, sir."

The lanky vocalist smiled, shaking the man's hand. "Likewise, mate. You're welcome to stop in for a quick rest, yeah?"

"No. No, sir. That's quite alright, thank you." The driver promptly returned to his seat and started the engine of the cab.

"Oh, well alright. How much will that be then?"

It was then that the driver spotted a malformed figure trudging its' way towards the vehicle. His fears confirmed, he began to panic, "B-Bloody Hell! Forget it! I'm out of here!"

He put the taxi in reverse and then struggled to find first gear, sweat compiling on his brow.

2D chased after the car with his wallet in hand. "At least let me tip you for your troubles!"

Before he could reach the car window, the driver stepped on the gas again. However, he had failed to get the clutch into first, sending the car on a backward rampage straight into the mangled creature that had been inching towards them.

Realizing that he had just run the beast over, he got up his nerve to put the car into the correct gear and speed away down the paved road.

2D stood, dumbfounded. "…..Okay then, bill me?"

A gust of wind picked up and hit the vocalist's face. He wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Blimey, the place reeks more than I remember."

As he walked back over to his luggage, he felt as though he were being watched by someone.

He stood up tall and scanned the scenery.

Nothing struck him as out of the ordinary. The mountains of rubbish down the hillside were just as grotesque as they had always been.

Gradually, he noticed the stench growing heavier.

"That's strange…" He outwardly thought, reaching for his last bag and hoisting it up into his arms.

Without warning, something grabbed his leg and yanked him to the ground.

Stunned and now partially buried beneath his suitcases, 2D peered up at what he was both horrified and thrilled to see.

A corpse: A walking, living corpse standing spread-eagle above him with a green-shaded foam frothing out the side of its' dislocated jaw.

The vocalist swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat. A zombie? Surely he was seeing things!

He began scrambling to get to his feet, but the thing still had him by the leg, pinning him in place.

Before 2D could make an attempt to scream for help, a quick figure darted above and over him and impaled the creature in the head with what appeared to be a long sword.

The zombie twitched and spurted foam before collapsing in a heap in the driveway.

2D's heart raced as the sword-wielding figure rose to its' feet and turned to gaze back at him.

It didn't take a long to realize who it was.

He coughed out a relieved laugh and sat up, "Noodle!"

She smiled warmly back at him, lowering a raincoat hood that had been sheltering her head from potential rain.

"Y-You…That was a-….An' the smell..an'-…It had me by the ankle! An'— bloody he-!... I mean-….Arrr…i..gato?" He stammered for words, realizing that he'd forgotten every ounce of Japanese he'd ever been taught in the past. He hoped he'd said at least one thing she understood.

She approached him and knelt down to meet his gaze.

He blinked a few times, taking in her image. She looked different; a bit more adolescent than he remembered.

At last, she grinned. "Don't mention it, 2D."

He breathed a heavy sigh and let her assist him to his feet. "Don't get me wrong or nothin', I was plenty stoked to see a-I mean a _real _zomb-….. Did you just speak English?"

She gave him an askew expression and was about to explain herself when the nearby garage door began to crank open.

Both of them turned to witness a caped oddity waltzing in their direction through the rising doorway.

2D's heart sank. His expectations to be the first to arrive at Kong had been false.

A crusty hand tilted back the edge of a sombrero to reveal the smug face of Murdoc Niccals.

"Well, well then. Look who came crawling back."

2D's brow lowered. "Could say the same to you."

There was an awkward pause as the wind passed adjacently between them and ruffled Murdoc's florid cape.

Noodle stood calmly, intermittently exchanging glances with them both.

Murdoc chuckled under his breath, "I must say, I'm a bit surprised that you mustered up the courage to come back at all...given all the _pleasant_ times we shared together in the past."

2D took a step forward; his hallow eyes piercing with pinned-up anger. He lifted his index finger towards the bassist. "You know what, Murdoc—I've fuckin' had enough of your—"

Suddenly, an aggressive bellowing could be heard from the driveway.

All three of them turned to find another walking corpse nearing them at a reckless pace, tossing its head about in howling rage.

Noodle gripped the handle of the weapon she had used earlier. "…I thought I'd taken care of them all, but it would appear I've missed a few."

Both Murdoc and 2D glanced at the small girl with staggered expressions. What exactly had been going on at Kong Studios in their absence?

As the misshapen carcass drew near, the loud roar of a motor filled the air.

As rain clouds began to vomit vapor from the sky, a large suped truck bombed up the hill, running the creature into the ground.

One of the hands of the corpse was abruptly dismembered and flopped beneath the truck's door. Within a few moments, it was swung open. A large, ominous figure rose slowly from the driver's seat and a massive foot stepped down onto the pavement, crushing the dismembered hand in the process.

The three band members stood curiously, awaiting the identity of their hero to be revealed.

They heard a few grunts as the giant stepped away from the vehicle and scrapped their sneaker across the driveway a few times in attempts to wipe off the mess they had stepped in.

Noodle leaned forward, hoping it was who she thought.

At last, the face of Russel Hobbs came into view and the three of them, whether exhibiting emotion or not, felt an immense wave of reprieve pour over them.

"Damn, ya'll got some major pest issues out here." Hobbs huffed, continuing to kick guts from his shoe.

Noodle ran forward and threw her arms around the huge man. He was almost intimidating, having grown in size at least 3x what percentage he had been a year and a half prior. However, up close Noodle assured herself that he was still the same drummer she knew and loved.

2D stood, baffled by the turn of events.

Zombies, a sombrero-sporting Murdoc, a larger-than-life Russel, and an English-speaking Noodle. This was a far cry from what he had anticipated upon returning to Kong. Then again, when Gorillaz were together, it was difficult to rely on predictability.

Noodle stepped back from her elongated embrace with Russ, beaming up at him. "I was worried that you wouldn't receive my letter."

The big man laid a hand atop her head with care. "Yah didn't have a thing to worry about, Noods. I told yah you'd be able to get ahold of me with the address I left yah with, no matter what the circumstance. It's good to see you, girl."

She gripped the edge of the raincoat she wore, continually showcasing an emotional smile. She had missed them all and the feeling of being surrounded by her band mates once again was a tremendously good one.

Murdoc cleared his throat and placed a hand on his chin. "So, Noodle. Zombies aside, looks like you've managed to reel the lot of us back in. Care to escort us inside and elaborate on these so-called demos of yours? Or are we going to just stand out here in the rain like a bunch of bloody flounders?"

Noodle turned to face the three men as the storm picked up in the distance.

She reached into her pocket and grasped the cassette tape she had been toting around with her for safe-keeping.

Written on it in sharpie were the words _Demon Days_.

She nodded, "Yes, let's get inside before more of the walking dead decide to join us."

"Hear that, 2D? Noodle wants you to stay outside." Murdoc sneered towards the vocalist as he turned towards the garage door.

2D tried to ignore the comment as he followed, "Piss off, Murdoc."

"Yo 'D, watch that mouth of yours. We're in the presence of a lady," Russ spoke earnestly, referring to Noodle.

"Since when has that ever stopped you in the past, Russ?" 2D simpered back playfully.

"Gentlemen, I can _assure_ you that I've heard words come out of that so-called lady's mouth that would right near violate your adult lugs." Murdoc chimed in.

As the three men bickered, Noodle smiled to herself. Despite having already been back at Kong for 5 months, she finally felt like she was at home.

[END Ch. 04]

/TBC/


	6. Chapter 05 5:17am

**A/N: After many months, I finally had the chance to finish Chapter 05! I appreciate everyone's patience. I know it can be a nuisance waiting so long for a story to update. I hope some of my original readers are still out there! This chapter was a fun one to write and I've had most of it done for awhile, but I recently made a life-changing move to a new home and started a new job, so progression with Salt Skin became quite slow. I'm so glad that I was able to finish a chapter in time for Halloween this year! Today is not only All Hallows' Eve, but also Noodle's birthday! The animated darling is 22 today... This is my way of sending her some love! **

**I hope everyone has a happy and safe Halloween! Enjoy reading. And thank you for your support, as always.  
**

* * *

-Ch. 05-

The lights from the television flickered, eliminating objects throughout the room that would have otherwise gone unseen.

Tired eyes blinked heavily.

What time was it?

Young Noodle sat cross-legged on the floor of her elaborate oriental-style boudoir. Every lamp had been dismissed aside from the TV screen's glare, which provoked strain on her youthful eyes.

A video game controller held loosely in her grip began to slip into her lap as she peeled her gaze from the television to notice the glowing cyphers of a digital clock.

5:17 a.m.

The guitarist sighed. She had been up all night trying to beat a new game. It was a highly advanced RP that she had pre-ordered before it hit the market. She had looked forward to its advent for months and from the moment it arrived on Kong's doorstep, she had been playing it in her spare time. As preparations for the commencement of Gorillaz' latest album began however, she found that her only spare time was in the early hours of the morning.

As skilled of a gamer as she was, she found that she had to exert additional effort to defeat the game, still having no success. With little personal time remaining before a latent producer would arrive at the studio the following morning to meet with her, Noodle had been insistent with herself to finish the game in one sitting. Unfortunately, the need for sleep beckoned.

She leaned back against an adjacent beanbag pillow and lowered her eyelids. Her fatigue was immense; she found herself falling asleep with ease on the cold floor.

It seemed as though she had only drifted off for a couple of minutes when she heard a loud thud against a far-off wall.

She struggled to resurrect herself.

After a period of silence, she reclosed her eyes; finding immediate comfort in doing so.

However, several moments later another thud was heard. This time, it was supplemented with yelling.

Noodle exhaled heavily and rolled off of the beanbag pillow onto the tatami mat floor. She lay on her stomach with her left ear pressed to the ground, eyes remaining closed. She yawned and half-heartedly listened for further commotion.

As Noodle felt her body ease into what she hoped to be a sleep-induced coma, loud noises once again resonated from somewhere below her.

Now irritated in her exhaustion, Noodle pushed her body up off the floor and shuffled across the room to slither into a pair of house slippers.

Investigation was the only solution.

As she reached forward to grip the handle of her bedroom door, she heard a few more irate shouts from downstairs.

She recognized the raspy voice well.

Leaning forward, she rested her forehead against the wooden door, finding the idea of probing tiresome. What could Murdoc possibly be on about so early in the morning?

It was then that she heard a crash accompanied by a familiar cockney yelp. Her eyes opened wide, "Nai kono futatabi…." (Translation: "Not this again….").

**_April 6th, 2004_**

****Noodle rubbed her hands up and down her arms to keep warm as the studio's lift lowered to the ground floor. The shaft was always chilly and she was only wearing a baggy t-shirt and pajama shorts.

Upon exiting the lift, the sounds of yelling and crashing grew to a high volume.

She grimaced as she walked out into the lobby. Furniture had been flipped over and several framed photographs that had hung on the walls had fallen and shattered.

She walked briskly through the mess, keeping a close eye on any broken glass in her path. She followed Murdoc's cursing, which led her through the corridor towards the bathrooms.

At last, the source of the ruckus was located. In a corner of the hallway, Murdoc stood over a battered Stuart Pot. The singer had blood on his lower lip and what looked to be a seasoning black eye.

This was an all-too-familiar scene, although this time it appeared to be more inhumane than Murdoc's usual onslaughts.

"You motherfucking git! Just don't know when to keep yer mouth shut, do you? Thought you could waltz back into this band and take the reins?! I don't fucking think so!" Murdoc squawked as he threw his boot into 2D's stomach.

The singer coughed and held onto his abdomen before grabbing hold of Murdoc's leg with one hand, attempting to topple the bassist to the floor.

Murdoc wasn't having it. He reached down and began to pull 2D up against the wall by his azul hair.

As he prepared to heave a fist into 2D's face, Noodle rushed forward, one of her slippers flying off in the process. "Stop! Nani shite iru no?!" (Translation: "What are you doing?!") She pushed herself in-between her two band mates.

Murdoc stepped back, but still held his fist in the air.

Noodle's eyes shot daggers at him. "What is wrong with you?! Is there _any_ reason for this!?"

"None that involves you. Step out of my way, the dullard had it coming." The bassist gritted his teeth.

"This violence is juvenile!" She spat back.

Murdoc leaned towards her, repeating himself, "Step _out_ of my way."

"No." The guitarist held her ground.

Murdoc saw the anger flare across her face, knowing perfectly well that he was powerless against her. He growled and punched the wall beside him. "That little fuck suddenly grew a backbone and I'll be damned if I don't rip it out of 'im with my bare hands."

2D spat out some blood onto the floor, "Well why don't yeh try then?"

Noodle held her breath at the singer's gut-filled remark. It wasn't normal for him to get fresh with the Satanist.

"What did you say?!" Murdoc began to lunge forward again.

It was then that the small guitarist unleashed an ambush of her own. "Dōshite son'nani orokana koto ga dekimasu! Anata ga jākudesu! Kare ni yubi o oku yūki wa arimasen, anata no bōryoku wa watashi o unzari!" (Translation: "I hate it when you act this way! You are a jerk! Do not dare lay a finger on him, your violence disgusts me!")

Murdoc stood, huffing inwardly to himself as he wiped some spit from his mouth. He hadn't the slightest clue what Noodle had said, but could assume a few unpleasant things.

2D sat still, a bit dumbfounded at the small girl's outburst. It had been awhile since he had heard that many Japanese words spoken at once from her.

The young girl's fists were clutched as she glared into Murdoc's face. It was in times such as these when she was forced to question the bassist's morals. Though she respected and admired him in certain aspects, his take on authority and power frustrated her. She wasn't going to stand by and put up with it as she had when she was younger.

At last, Murdoc spoke, "Get 'im out of my sight."

She scowled at him as she collected 2D off of the floor and steered him out of the hallway. At the last minute, 2D attempted to leave Noodle's side to confront the bassist again, but Noodle gripped his arm tightly. When he looked at her, she stared into his hallow eyes with a serious demeanor and simply shook her head.

He sighed and tossed a glare back at Mudz before allowing Noodle to walk him to the lift.

* * *

Noodle hastily pulled out the only first-aid kit in the building from a drawer in her dresser and began rummaging through it for gauze and hydrogen peroxide.

She had led 2D back to her room; the only place in Kong she felt assured that Murdoc wouldn't enter.

The vocalist pressed his upper hand to his lip to prevent any blood from dripping onto his clothing or the clean comforter on Noodle's bed, upon which he sat.

The young girl was quick about collecting the proper materials needed to treat his wounds, scattering them onto the bed next to him and then instructing 2D to remove his hand from his face so that she could tend to the injuries.

2D had forgotten just how motherly Noodle could be, recalling times in the past where she had taken care of each of her band mates. It was an endearing quality and temporarily took his mind off of the current situation.

Noodle applied peroxide with a cotton ball to his lip, which caused Stu to wince. She held it there for a number of seconds before releasing the cotton ball and inspecting the wound.

2D sat quietly, but Noods could tell that he was fuming on the inside. She was unsure whether or not to inquire about the downstairs brawl, but decided that she deserved to know, seeing as it had kept her from getting any sleep that morning.

Once she was finished treating his lip, she stood back and gazed at 2D's soon-to-be black eye. She frowned, "May I ask what happened downstairs?"

2D looked up at her. He was still getting used to her speaking effortless English. Since the band had reunited, he had yet to ask about her polished speech.

Once he allowed her question to rattle around in his head, he lowered his eyes. "I gave that sod a piece of my mind is what 'appened. An' next thing I know, he jumped me….. I finally got up the nerve to say what I wanted, an' it didn't do me a bit'a good."

Noodle saw his expression twist with bitter resentment. "What did you say to him?"

He brought his hand up and pushed all his bangs back, "I had it in my head that comin' back to Kong and bein' a band again was guna be different, yeh know? I was finally guna stand up to Murdoc and put 'im in his place for treating me like rubbish all these years. If…-If it weren't for me, he wouldn't even be where he is today! Tha' ungreatful son of a-ow…" He cut himself off as a fresh headache began to throb.

Noodle retrieved some pain killers from the first-aid kit and handed them to the singer, followed by a bottle of water.

He took the pills in the palm of his hand, "Hey, where'd yeh get these?"

Noods smiled, "Emergency reserve."

He grinned back at her before taking the pills. They went down with ease. "Yeh know me too well."

As the room grew quiet, he leaned back onto Noodle's bed. His darkened features suggested he hadn't slept all night. Noodle felt relieved not to be the only night owl at Kong. She pulled her bean-bag pillow over from across the room and took a seat, feeling fatigue set in.

"You know…" she began, "I think you made more of an impact on Murdoc than you realize."

He didn't sit up. "What do you mean?"

"Standing up to him. I think it gave him a wakeup call. He knows you're an important asset to the band and he doesn't want to lose control over you. He knows that if you get a mind of your own and begin acting out, you may very well leave the band of your own free will and then where would we be?" Noodle spoke with assurance in her voice.

Stuart stared up at the ceiling. "Yeh sayin' tha' he's afraid of losing me?"

"I think in a way."

The singer tasted his injured lip with his tongue for a second before responding. "Tha's an interesting way of lookin' at it….."

The room grew silent as the first bit of morning light appeared out one of the bedroom windows, tinting the sky a navy blue.

Noodle bent her knees and sat crisscross. As she shifted positions, thoughts flooded her mind. Of course she felt her reasoning behind Murdoc's motives was correct, but simultaneously she knew that the way he carried out his feelings was unjust. "However….it gives him no excuse."

2D peeked over at her.

She continued, "Despite what I've just said, it gives Murdoc no excuse to treat you the way he does. He may have more sentiment reasons behind his actions, but he shouldn't cause you upset and pain because of them."

The singer frowned, turning his gaze towards the ceiling once more.

Noodle watched his expression for a moment before averting her eyes. Perhaps she should have kept the subject light-hearted….

"I'm just sick of 'im." He finally admitted.

This came as no surprise to Noodle. Of course the singer would be sick of getting dumped on time and time again. Anyone would.

She paused her thoughts to need her hands together, tracing the lines of her skin. She began to realize how little she knew about her blue-haired band mate… There was so much she didn't understand…so much she thought she knew, but didn't. Would it be rude of her to query about these things, she wondered?

"I guess I just looked up to him." 2D broke the silence once more.

Noodle looked up at him and watched his dark eyes stare at the ceiling above them: Those dark eyes that she couldn't read.

"In the beginning, I mean. I looked up to him…..I thought, even though he messed me up right good, that it meant somethin'. That maybe he and I met for a reason. That even though he gave me two fractures in me skull, Murdoc had my best interest at heart."

The more 2D spoke, the more confused Noodle grew. How could he think that any of what Murdoc had done was in his best interest? Nevertheless, she continued to listen.

"'Course….I was bit of a dumb 19 year old. Thought I'd found my destiny. Lead singer of a band, what a gig! Thought I had the world at my feet….Couldn't remember a whole year out of my life, but at least I was guna be famous for it. _2D_. Tha's right, he gave me that nickname. Yeh knew that, yeah?" The singer momentarily glanced over at Noodle, who was still tracing her hands and watching him with intent concentration.

She grinned, "I assumed its relevance had something to do with Gorillaz. Everyone who knows you from years ago still call you by your real name."

"Strange how I somewhat like _2D_ more, despite the origin of the label."

The guitarist cracked a grin, "Oh, you don't like Stuart _Tusspot_?"

2D lifted a finger, "_Pot_! Stuart Pot."

She laughed slightly, knowing all too well that despite the charm his abbreviated last name entailed, his true family name was Tusspot.

"So I guess I was grateful to Murdoc." 2D returned to his reminiscent ramble. "He molded me into a new person; made me better. An' when he would give me a good going over, even if it was for no reason at all, I didn't take it personal…"

Noodle's smile faded.

"…..Even if it messed me up right bad, I never did….til this one time when he really drywalled me." His face lowered and things became discreet once more.

Noods waited, but 2D didn't carry on. He stared off into nowhere unparticular, no doubt contemplating this thing that Murdoc had done to him that she felt she had no right to inquire about.

She shifted in her position before standing up. "I'll…go make some tea if you'd li—"

"Yeh know we had a different guitarist at one time, yeah?"

Noodle held her arms at her side, "Yes…?"

"Had us a gal 'bout my age. Interesting person, very talented. The band was goin' by _Gorilla_ at the time."

The small girl reclaimed her seat on the beanbag chair, the spot still warm from her previous repose. "Miss Paula Cracker, correct? I listened to some of her demos once. She had some ideal riffs."

2D's face wrinkled up a bit. "Yeah she did.…I think she was the first relationship I ever took seriously. Cared a lot about 'er, tried to do things to make 'er happy…. But I guess it was never enough. For a _dullard_ like me, it's hard to compete with a bloke like Murdoc. Never understood why girls dig assholes."

Noodle frowned, "I wasn't aware of your correlation with her. You two were seeing each other?"

"It was short lived. She and I fancied each other a bit before the band got its big break… Came into me Uncle's organ shop a number'a times lookin' for guitar strings. She eventually got me instead. Talked her into joining the band after Russel arrived and we were needin' a guitarist. She was great, really. But….yeh know, Mudz came into the picture….and it's all history now." 2D explained softly.

Noodle began to put two and two together and then realized what must have happened. She shook her head in dismay. Such is Murdoc to dismantle any sort of happiness 2D might acquire for himself.

"…Murdoc came between you two."

The vocalist remained still, "In a very literal sense, yeah."

Noodle pressed her lips together and looked down at the floor. She was young, but not young enough to misunderstand him. Her thoughts wondered to the image of poor 2D discovering that Paula, whom he so devoted his affection to, was cheating on him with Murdoc, someone who he had looked up to (for one odd reason or another). The very fact that such a betrayal could transpire between band mates was baffling to her.

2D sustained, "….I wouldn't go right to sayin' that Murdoc didn't do me a favor or anythin'. Paula _was_ a bit wild…She ended up running out on him too, so it was only a matter of time…. But still hurt like hell."

Noodle waited several moments before speaking. "..I remember Murdoc telling me that Miss Paula left the band on her own terms."

2D chuckled, "Yeh kiddin'? He asked her to leave the band himself!….right after Russ did me a solid and broke the sod's nose."

Noods brazenly enjoyed the thought of Russel taking a stand for a brokenhearted Stu Pot. At least some karma came of Murdoc's ill-doings.

"Sorry, blud….Don't mean to carry on with all this."

The young girl dismissed his apology, "Not at all. But, may I ask…why didn't you leave the band after that? Why did you stay, even after Murdoc did that to you?"

2D didn't respond for a while. He had a hard time deciding what the answer was. "…Guess I wanted to see what would become of the band…Didn't think much of Murdoc anymore though. After Paula, he and I rarely saw eye to eye. I started to see how much of an arse he really was, an' hated bein' around 'em. But I still wanted to be a part of it…a part of Gorillaz."

The singer sat up, feeling the blood rush from his head, giving him minor vertigo.

Noodle lowered her head, "Forgive me….I know Murdoc has come between many of your relationships. He's wronged you too many times…and I don't want to cause you upset by revisiting those memories."

2D grinned, "It's alright. Yeah, there were others…like Rachel. She was lovely. Mudz messed that one up for me too, didn't he. But the way I see it, none of 'em girls must have been right for me. I think once the right one comes along, they'll stick around…Won't walk out so easily. An' I'll know they're somethin' worth tryin' harder for. Yeh know?"

Noodle glanced up at him and then scratched her nose, "Yes, that's a good way of looking at it."

His smile broadened, "An' you too, mate. Don't sell yourself short for anyone who 'appens to come into your life. I'm not a good example, but yeh gotta make sure the person yeh decide to be with does right by yeh."

Noodle stood up, grabbed a tissue, and handed it to him. His lip had started bleeding again. "Thank you, 2D."

The blue-haired Brit took the tissue and looked at her in confusion.

Noodle pointed to her own lip to signify his own.

He licked at his wound and then hastily brought the tissue up to his mouth. "Nah, thank _you_, blud."

Noodle let the room return to a hushed state. She somehow felt honored in having the singer open up to her in such an expressive way. His words sunk in and stayed in her mind, so much that they began to perplex her. Despite the explanation he had given for having stayed with the band, she still couldn't comprehend why 2D lingered on after all the wrongs Murdoc had done to him. Permanently fracturing his skull was nothing compared to the unjust acts that the bassist had partook against the limber Cockney.

For the sake of the band, 2D remained?

She had always presumed him to be weak, but at that moment she saw how strong he was in the face of all disheartening things in his life. It was admirable, in a way.

"Yeh know, it's nice bein' able to talk to yeh like this."

Noodle grinned, assuming that he must have been referring to her fluent English.

"Now tha' I think about it, guess some good did come'a Murdoc getting' rid'a Paula…. We never would 'ave met you! Things worked out for the better that way. An' I think your guitar riffs are ace."

She glanced downward, feeling a bit unworthy of his compliment. "I appreciate that, Stu."

He'd never quite heard her call him by his abbreviated birth name. It made him realize just how unexplored their friendship was, and how reassuring it was to potentially have someone in the band who took genuine interest in his concerns and thoughts, despite how cumbersome they seemed in his own head. Although retaining the weight, he felt a bit relieved. In reaction to this relief, he felt open enough to continue speaking. "Can I ask yeh somethin'? If we hadn't needed a guitarist back in '98, where would yeh 'ave ended up?"

What had been a tranquil moment turned quickly into a discomforting one. The small girl froze. The answer to his question was a dark one….

"Bet you'd be in some grunge Japanese band, eh? With yeh 'rents screamin' at yeh to stop practicin' so loud in yeh garage. Er…do houses in Japan have garages?"

Noodle gazed away from his face and down to her toes.

It took him a moment to notice her change of mood. "Ehh…then again, you're too brilliant of a musician to be in some small garage band, yeah? You'd probably be a rock'n'roll idle of some sort by now!"

"I would be dead." She spoke under her breath.

He stopped and stared at her in bewilderment. "…...What do yeh mean?"

She took a minute to breath, staying composed as she always did. Clearing her throat, she finally raised her eyes to meet his. "It's complicated."

He gave her a concerned look and then rubbed his left arm, "Noods, I've been wonderin'….about yeh, and about how different yeh are…speaking English an' all, composing amazing tracks…How did all of that 'appen in just one year? What 'appened when yeh left LA?"

Noodle sighed. She knew that sooner or later these questions would arise, although she had hoped everyone would simply brush them aside until they were forgotten. "Nothing changed… I've always been able to speak English...and I specialize in music, therefore composing has always been a skill of mine. I just…had to remember everything first."

"Yeh mean you had amnesia or somethin'?"

She looked up at him and smiled slightly. She walked to her nightstand and pulled open a drawer. He watched as she sat down beside him and revealed in her hands the photo of herself and Dr. Kyuzo, as well as the old photograph of her birth parents.

"…What are these?" He questioned.

"…I had hoped that maybe I wouldn't have to go into detail about my background. I am, after all, good at keeping to myself." As she said this she glanced up at him. He was intently listening. She turned away, feeling something that she hadn't felt before: The urge to talk about herself. "But if you don't mind listening…?"

For some strange reason, she found herself holding her breath in hopes that he would say yes.

Although fatigue was visible on both their faces, he sincerely wanted to know about her. He always had. She was the mystery that none of them could solve, and he wanted to take a whack at the riddle. So he leaned forward, rested his elbows on his knees, and contently nodded, "I'm already listenin'."

She smiled in relief and breathed in and out for a few moments, glancing down at the photos in her hands.

Hearing a few birds chirp outside, she began:

"….My real name is Nijusan. But please, continue to call me Noodle."

[END Ch. 05]

/TBC/


	7. Chapter 06 The Intended Message

**A/N: No, you're not seeing things. This is an actual update that's not 6 months overdue! Ha... Ok, I'll stop picking on myself. I know I've said this before, but I really love writing for Phase 2. It's fun to explore what might have gone on during the creation of Demon Days... which was my favorite Gorillaz record. I feel like these early times were crucial building blocks in 2D and Noodle's relationship also, be it their friendship or otherwise. I'm beginning to think that I take too much enjoyment in making Murdoc the bad guy though... I know the poor bloke is only human. Not to worry, I have plans for him.**

**Please enjoy reading and thank you SO much for your wonderful reviews. Positive feedback is always appreciated. Happy Holidays and hope to get another update going for you guys soon!  
**

* * *

-Ch. 06-

Lyric, melody, rhythm, and truth.

These key elements, to her, made up a genuine piece of music.

A song.

When all else seemed confusing or distant, her melodic mind drifted, leading her away from the darkness life sometimes cloaked her in and into the light that was her own composition.

Within music, she could thrive.

She hoped that with the music she conjured from the darkness of her world, she could sway others to break away from their own hellish dusk and into the dawn of song.

This is what she wanted. This is what _Demon Days_ was intended to represent; a journey leading away from the darkness and into the light.

A simple enough concept to grasp…. For anyone else but a Satanist.

* * *

_**June 16th, 2004**_

"Ayyyaaahh! This is inexcusable!" Noodle slammed down a stack of papers onto the desk in front of her and placed her hands over her forehead.

"Babe, I know yah weren't set on these fella's, but De La Soul _will_ add some flair to the record." Russ sat across from her with concern written across his large face.

"…I understand that. What I don't understand is how Murdoc can simply offer them a part in the song before discussing it with Brian or myself first! It's so…disrespectful!"

"I know…I know." The big man sighed, leaning back in his chair so far that it threatened to break.

Recording of their latest album was turning out to be more stressful than they had anticipated. Although a great hand had been lent by their newfound producer _Danger Mouse _(aka Brian Burton)_,_ for some odd reason things seemed to have gone much smoother on their debut album. Neither of them could remember why.

"I don't want to come off as selfish….but these are my songs! I've worked hard on them…poured my soul into them. How can he be so senseless towards that?"

"You know as well as I do that the cracker ain't right in the head. He'll take and take for himself before even once thinking of someone else. Don't let it get yah down, Noodle girl. Yeah, he should have spoken with yah first about it and you can bet your ass I'll be talkin' to him later about it, but I'm sure he wouldn't have asked De La Soul to collab with us if he didn't think they were right for the job. You'll see; it'll work out. And if it doesn't, you can send 'em packin'."

Noodle glanced up. Russel could always say the right thing to console her, even in her worst of moods. She picked the papers back up and read the words printed on them again. It still irked her….she couldn't deny it. But she didn't want to cause any further commotion, so she deemed it best to drop the subject. "I suppose I should give them a chance."

Russ smiled and stood up from his seat, patting her on the shoulder, "That'a girl."

She returned the smile and watched as he exited the office, reaching down to scratch his rear-end in the process.

Once he was out of sight, she let her smile fade as she read over the papers again; lyrics she had derived from scratch tossed with someone else's ideas. It didn't feel right to her….. The song she was trying to render seemed askew with De La Soul's rap mixed in. She had nothing against the genre of rap, of course. All varietals of music held meaning to her and would act as vital organs beneath the living body of the record. But the particular words used in the rap were not what she had intended on vocalizing.

Her mind drifted to Gorillaz' first record, a copy of which hung on an adjacent wall in the office room she sat in. How had it been so informal back then? Everything had happened so fast….The song writing, the collaborations, the recording, the music videos; it had all taken place with such abstract haste. Why were things more difficult now? Sometimes she wondered if all her late night sessions with Danger Mouse, strategic positioning of instruments, and delicate use of collaborators was a waste of time.

She ran one of her hands across the paper littered with lyrics before letting the stack fall onto the floor in a pile. She tightened her fists and when she was sure no one was outside the door she lifted her leg and stomped down on the papers with her right converse shoe.

After leaving a lovely footprint on one of the sheets, she heaved a sigh and reached for the guitar that had been accompanying her throughout the studio that day. She plopped down on her chair with slight aggression and began to strum a few harmonies.

The immediate sound of music soothed her, although it felt choppy and unpolished.

She played the tune of the lyric sheet she had so belligerently trampled, almost feeling bad that she had done so in the first place.

After playing the tune several times over, she briskly placed her hand over the strings to stop the humming of the chords and rested her forehead on the wooden frame. "This isn't what I want." She whispered.

* * *

Outside the room and down the hall, an azure-haired vocalist was doing hand-tricks with a flip-phone he had just so mindlessly dropped onto the concrete floor. Now that it had been destroyed, he reckoned it worthy of a toy to keep his mind off of the gloomy atmosphere Kong had taken on over the past several weeks.

Collaborators had been coming in and out of the studio, testing out parts to songs and adding so much new material to the record that it may very well combust. Unless a finalized set was decided on in the next month, young Noodle's _Demon Days_ would be ever-more delayed in conception.

In all honesty, he didn't mind waiting. 2D never enjoyed recording. It was a chore; cumbrous and tiring. Murdoc always demanded more of his vocals than he could provide in one sitting, leaving him with a hoarse voice and several lumps on the head at the end of each assembly.

No, recording could wait as long as it needed to. Meanwhile, he would nonchalantly float under the radar, doing as little as possible until his vocals were required. Currently, it was the only time he had to himself. And he did, surprisingly enough, find solitude to be increasingly pleasurable as the rainy days drew on.

Grazing down the hallway, he happened to pass the office where Noodle sat. At first he wasn't going to stop in; there was a bag of cannabis with his name on it back in his quarters which he had stowed away for a day like today. But the way she sat slouched over in her chair, forehead pressed against her acoustic guitar concealing her face, he figured he might quickly check on her to ensure all was well. She had been more stressed than he had ever seen her as of late.

He awkwardly stuffed his broken cell phone in his pocket and stepped into the room. He noticed the papers all over the floor, wondering if she had noticed them too. He tilted his head to read them, spotting several printed lyrics underneath a dirty footprint.

He rubbed the back of his neck before kneeling down to collect the papers. "Blud, yeh know yeh 'ave some lyric sheets on the floor 'ere?"

Noodle picked up her head, startled a bit by his sudden presence. Immediately she felt a line form in her skin from where she had been resting her forehead on the guitar frame. She reached up to rub it away. "Yes, actually…they arrived in the mail this morning."

He got up and sat in the chair opposite from her, glancing them over. "Yeh don't seem too happy with 'em."

She sat her chin down on the guitar frame. "What makes you think I'm _unhappy_ with them… they're fine."

"Well….they were on the floor. Assumin' yeh wouldn't leave somethin' on the floor yeh fancied is all."

She involuntarily shot a harmless glare in his direction, which he missed.

He leaned back to read the lyric sheets further.

Noodle rubbed her forehead a bit more, "De La Soul's parts…. are fine."

The vocalist saw the added rap bits, something he was certain he hadn't perceived on her demos. "Seems alright. A bit different than I remember though. When did yeh add 'em in?"

Noodle stood from her seat suddenly, still holding her guitar against her torso, "I didn't! Murdoc-…He added their part in without even asking me. He is ungrateful. He knows how hard I've worked, how long it has taken me to tie all the loose ends… and yet he thinks it so unimportant to let me know when he invites new collaborators in on my songs."

2D was staggered by her open attitude and outward frustration, although he shouldn't have been. She had gradually become more undefended around him since they had confided in each other several weeks prior. After learning about her past, Stu also felt more self-assured around her. She was no longer a mystery that needed to be solved, but rather a friend he could feel confident around. There was no need for suppression or refinement between them any longer. They both found comfort in knowing that they now had someone to freely talk to.

2D read through De La Soul's parts a few times before sighing, "He did the same thing to me when we were writing the first record. Always goin' behind my back like I didn't know better! Drove me mad… Felt like all the stuff I'd written and worked on, which I thought was well brilliant, was nothin' but rubbish! It worked out in the end though, I guess. Made us a good debut anyway."

"But shouldn't this record be different from the first? Shouldn't we be able to focus on a purpose rather than jump around through different genres, doing exactly what the mainstream media wants us to do?"

Noodle's words were always strikingly beyond her years. 2D should have learned by now to expect nothing less from a 13 year old who had already composed her own record, among other things.

"That'd be nice, wouldn't it."

Noodle wanted to scowl at him again, but she couldn't help but chuckle at the simple response.

"I am fully aware that we still need to participate in certain mainstream facets in order to appeal to our listeners, however…I still want to incorporate my message!"

"Yeh message?"

Noodle sat back down now, running her hand up the neck of her guitar. "I told Murdoc I wanted this record to mean something….to have a message. Danger Mouse knows this too. When I returned to Kong from my journey East, I witnessed first-hand what the media has done to people in this world. Society has forgotten what's important in music…and in life. They're filling their heads with whatever poppy-filth comes out of their radios. Like the zombies that walk our property, people are asininely treading through a darkness that they can't escape from. I wanted to create something that could remind them to wake up from that emptiness and realize what true music is again…. To come out of their darkness and into what light they used to know before the mainstream rotted their minds."

Noodle looked up from the strings on her guitar to gain feedback from the Cockney. He was listening patiently. He had always been a well-off listener; something she enjoyed about him.

She looked down again at the instrument sitting in her lap. "I think that is my true mission in life…. To deliver again a true musical sense to the people on this potentially dead planet."

2D watched her for a moment before grinning, "Well, this planet can't be dead yet."

She peered over at him, "Why not?"

He picked back up the lyric sheet that had her footprint on it. He read through the chorus of the song with a content expression, "'Cause there are still people like you left on it."

His comment caught her off guard. She didn't know how to respond to such a kindred statement. Luckily, he further elaborated: "I think as long as there are people out there who care enough to try and change things for the better, the planet is still far from dead."

Noodle smiled. Stuart Pot was the wisest dimwit she could ever hope to know. "Now you see why I am upset about De La Soul's collaboration? This particular song wasn't meant to be vulgar in any way. It was meant to showcase what this world used to be…and what it could be again if people tried to look away from the darkness in society."

2D nodded, leaning over to look at more papers now scattered on the desk beside them. "Yeh know….maybe there is a way to incorporate De La Soul's part without disruptin' yeh message."

Noodle perked up, "Do explain."

"Well, if yeh took the chorus and separated it from the rap…it would be somewhat like…. how would you describe it?..." She watched his face twist for a moment, worrying if he might hurt himself in his thought-process. "Ah, I know." He began again, "There's billions of people in the world, yeah? And every person has to sort of decide how they want to live their life…. They have'ta triumph an inner battle as obstacles try to influence 'em to go astray. Do they give in to the guilty pleasures of media and fake social-expectations? Or do they step away from sin and into the pure goodness this world intended for 'em… and live their life for what's truly important? Like…love and happiness, what have you."

The guitarist sat up straight, thinking about his explanation.

"….Sorry, I uh, don't know if that came out quite the way I was hopin'."

"No, no." Noodle raised her hand, "I understand what you meant perfectly." She rose and set her guitar to the side of her chair, gathering the papers up again and reading them over. "2D, that could work!"

"What could _2D_ possibly make work? I must know." A raspy voice broke through the progressive conversation.

Noodle and 2D both turned towards the doorway to find Murdoc in what resembled a Hugh Heffner robe with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth and genitals peeking out from the slit in his attire each time he shifted weight.

"We were jus' workin' with Noodle's song that yeh happened to randomly include De La Soul in without tellin' 'er." 2D spoke as if he were trying to get the pale-skinned bassist in trouble.

Muds was unfazed. "Oh did I not tell you, love? You'll have to find it in your heart to forgive me. I'm right old now, you see. I've become forgetful…meh…"

"Yes, I'm certain it was due to your feeble age that you forgot I am the one who wrote these songs. I didn't try and mess with _your_ material on our debut. Why can't you be respectful and at least pass your ideas by Danger Mouse or I first before initiating them?"

"Listen, dearie. You were a child back then….couldn't speak a lick of English…I wouldn't have expected you to interfere with my material, even if you had intended to. And that producer of yours is a quack. Correct me if I'm wrong, but you're _still_ a child aren't you? I was simply lending a professional _adult_ hand on the record. De La Soul will make your song a hit! The leader of the band knows best, after all. Am I right or am I right?"

2D bit his lip. Things had been tenser between the bassist and guitarist than in previous times. It was obvious that they were on equal levels from a musician stand-point. But Murdoc had an advantage in age….and he certainly had a collection of years ahead of her. Noodle respected this fact; however it didn't stop her from tossing him a burning glare. "Do cover yourself up, Mr. Niccals. Showing an _underage_ girl your unmentionables is most inappropriate."

Murdoc glanced down at the opening in his robe and grinned evilly as he shooed the fabric over himself. "Oh, now I'm embarrassed."

With a twist of his heel, Muds was gone down the dark hallway, leaving Noodle fuming and 2D growing evermore nervous. One of them was sure to rip the other's head off one day.

Noodle took one of the lyric sheets, wadded it up, and threw it with a grunt at the doorway. Unfortunately, she missed the doorway and it bounced off the wall instead, rolling back over towards her feet.

After several moments of standing in frustration, Noodle sat back down and hung her head. "…..Perhaps he is right….Maybe I _am_ just a child…..Maybe I don't know what I'm doing."

It was in times such as these that 2D wished he could think of something quirky to say. But alas, quirky remarks only became accessible to him when they weren't sought after.

Despite his lack of context, thoughts ran rampant through his mind. He glanced down at the wadded up lyric sheet. Noodle _was_ the youngest band member, there was no denying that. But for some strange reason he had never thought of her as a child. She was the most sensible and brightest person he had ever known. And she was only 13! Murdoc knew this, and he feared her ability and wit would surpass his one day.

This was the advantage Noodle had over the bassist….and 2D both envied and admired her for it. She had no reason to hang her head. She was brilliant! But it wouldn't be enough just to tell her so. It would mean nothing coming from him. Maybe it was best for her to figure it out for herself. He knew it would only be a matter of time anyway.

He reached down for the wad of paper and unwrinkled it, grinning as he did so.

Noodle had been memorizing the stitch pattern in her shoes when the now furrowed lyric sheet came into her view. 2D was handing it over to her with his lengthy arm.

She took it and peered over at him. He was beaming a goofy grin, causing her to lose facade and perk up a bit. She reached for her guitar again and set the paper on the table. She didn't need to read it…she knew the tune by heart.

As she began to play, Stu chimed in with his own instrument. Smiling, Noodle let go of her distress.

"_Windmill, Windmill for the land,_

_Turn forever, hand in hand._

_Take it all, in on your stride,_

_It is sticking, falling down..._

_Love forever, love is free,_

_Let's turn forever, you and me._

_Windmill, Windmill for the land,_

_Is everybody in…?_"

[END Ch. 06]

/TBC/


	8. Chapter 07 Needless Apologies

**A/N: Hello my loves! A new chapter to start off the new year. I've been so inspired to work on Salt Skin as of late, so all of you should expect updates closer together than a few months from now on. I have a lot of great ideas that I want to carry out. I am determined to get this story out of my head, no matter how long it takes me!**

**I've had rough ideas written out for this chapter for a long time and it was great to finally experiment and get a solid piece of the story out of what I had conjured. Yet again, I've infamously made Murdoc out to be the bad guy. I really need to stop doing that. But you have to admit that he continuously makes poor choices and gets the others heated time and time again... I'm merely reflecting that and I have nothing against the old bastard personally.  
**

**I must quickly brief all of you that I went back and made some changes in chapters 05 and 06. I realized that I was missing some crucial canon information in the timeline and didn't want to let it slide. My goal is to stay as true to the phases as possible, while still bringing my head-canon to life. The changes aren't huge, you may not even notice them. But if you look closely, I've incorporated the existence of the very real Brian Burton (Danger Mouse) who was Gorillaz' producer for the _Demon Days_ record. I couldn't very well leave him out of the storyline. According to the lovely novel _Rise of the Orge_, which I get most of my canon background from, he and Noodle were very closely knit during the creation of the album.  
**

**One more fast update before I let you go: If any of you happen to have any questions for me or for the story, I've set up a formspring for that very purpose! Stop by anytime you'd like and drop a question or two, I'll answer them when I can! Username: asksaltskin  
**

**Please enjoy your read!  
**

* * *

-Ch. 07-

_**October 25**__**th**__**, 2004**_

The bass was pounding loudly as Murdoc swung his arms about, dancing on a table with several ebony women.

Voices rung throughout the convention-room-turned-club as cohorts shook hands and bought each other drinks from the make-shift bar. It was a great way to end the recording for _Demon Days_, and finally Noodle could present the dawn of the album surrounded by fellow musicians who appreciated her work.

"Little lady, it was a pleasure working with you." A man shook the guitarist's hand.

"On the contrary, Mr. Dumile. Having worked with you was an experience I won't soon regret."

Mr. Dumile, also known as _MF Doom _nodded his head and released her hand, trailing off into the crowd.

Noodle felt her heart thump loudly. She hadn't been this pleased in a long while. After months of struggling to get each track recorded to her high expectations, the set for _Demon Days_ was complete and sent to Gorillaz' choice atelier, _Pierce Rooms Studio_ in West London, England for the final overdubs and mixing. The band packed their bags and hopped a quick flight to the capital in order to celebrate alongside their collabs before entering the studio the following day.

Noodle peeked at her cell phone to watch the clock turn to 1 a.m. She pondered perhaps heading up to her hotel room. Although she would much rather converse into the night, she felt it rather important to get some good rest for once. The approaching morning was a significant one.

As she scanned the room for the nearest exit, someone suddenly bumped into her from behind, nearly knocking her down.

"Whoa, whoa! Sorry about that, kiddo!"

She felt a bit irritated before realizing who it was. "Shaun, really now?" She laughed.

"S'pose I'm gettin' rather clumsy…" Mr. Ryder grinned with a drink in his hand.

Noodle pushed him playfully, "Yes, you are! Please behave yourself…"

"A'right, a'right. Wouldn't want to get the bandleader of Gorillaz cross with me. You lot can get quite ruthless…"

Noodle stopped, "That may be true, but I'm not the bandleader...?"

"Yeh might as well be. Takes a lot of brilliance to gather this many performers together for one project. Yeh done well."

The young guitarist felt her cheeks flush red. She never knew how to take compliments. Should she smugly thank him, or selflessly deny his praise? She was saved from what could have been an awkward moment when someone out of the crowd wrapped an arm around Shaun Ryder's neck and began pulling him away.

"If you'll excuse me, love!" He yelled out to her as he disappeared.

Noodle grabbed her left arm with her right hand. This wasn't the first time she had heard someone outside of her own band make positive comments on her composition. She peered through an opening of people to watch Muds flail about in buzzed glee across the room. Surely he would hit the roof in outrage if he knew she was getting all the credit for _their_ record. However, shouldn't it be alright to take some of the credit? Almost everything on the album was her material after all, albeit a few additions from Murdoc and their producer. It was a creation derived from everyone's hard work, but beneath all the cartilage and fine-tuning, the skeleton had been constructed by her.

She quickly left her thoughts when she was hastily hoisted up in the air atop a massive shoulder. She looked down to see Russel, in all his round glory, beaming up at her.

"Babe, I'm so proud of you!"

She laughed, "Russ, you smell of brandy."

The drummer shook his bald head, "Hey now….ol' Hobbs can hold his liquor. Can't I show a little enthusiasm for yah? This album's guna top the charts, I can feel it! And it's all because of you, Noods."

"…You know as well as I do that it will be because of everyone's efforts, not just mine." She chuckled as she placed a hand on his head.

He smirked, "For once in your life will yah take a damn compliment? Gorillaz wouldn't even be makin' a second record if it weren't for you."

"Russel, please…."

"Ok….who here agrees with me? Noodle is the greatest! She's the wo-man! She's the bee-knees! She's—"

"Tomete!" (Translation: "Stop!") Noodle began pushing against Russel's dome, her cheeks now enflamed.

The big man chuckled, "Yah know I'm just messin' with yah…"

Just as she was about to make a clever remark, the music over the speakers changed to a new song and Mr. Hobbs began bobbing to the beat, "Awww Yeah! Gotta love this jam…"

Noodle found herself having to hold on tightly as the percussionist swayed through the crowd of cohorts, creating quite a scene.

"You're belligerent, you oaf!" Noods scolded jokily, squirming about.

"Yah know how I do!" Was his only response.

"…I'm getting down now!" She called out to him as she wiggled her way off of his shoulder.

As she slid down the back of his arm, her executed landing back onto the floor abruptly became a crash-site as she collided with an unforeseen bystander.

Now in a pile below everyone's feet, Noodle quickly sat up and pushed back her bangs, "2D?"

As if by sheer coincidence, the blue-haired Cockney was lying on the floor beside her propped up by his elbows with a half-hearted grin, "'ey, where'd yeh come from?"

"Sorry, are you ok?" Noodle stood up and reached down to help her band mate to his feet.

"Never been better, love." He wobbled a bit.

Noods laughed slightly, "What have you been doing all night? I haven't seen you since the first toast."

2D leaned down so that his face was near to hers, "….Who's askin'?"

"Who do you suppose?" She flatly stated.

The vocalist smirked, "Noooodle?"

"Ugh, you're just as wrecked as Russ, aren't you?"

"'ey, am not. Sorry, I was jus' teasin'…..I've actually met up with someone! Look over yonder." 2D pointed towards the bar.

Noodle spotted in the distance several people loitering with beverages in their hands.

"Oh, that gangly man in the cat sweater and sunglasses?"

"Yeah…" 2D swooned, "I mean _NO_!"

Noodle giggled, "My mistake. Who then?"

"Tha' tall brunette there. Name's Jean… Quite nice, yeah? We've been talkin' all evening."

Noodle took a long look at the woman 2D was referring to, "Oh yes, she looks like a pleasant person. How do you know her? An old friend?"

2D rubbed the back of his neck, "Well, not really… I jus' met 'er…"

Noodle shoved him teasingly, "2D!"

"What!"

"I hope you're being a gentleman at least…."

"An' jus' what do you mean?"

Noodle raised her brow at him. She knew perfectly well what happened between her band mates and random women….. most of whom she would only meet once.

"It's not like that, my God! Yeh been hangin' around Murdoc too much. I like 'er! I'm jus' gettin' to know 'er is all. Probably won't lead to anything tonight."

Noodle found it mildly amusing to listen to 2D speak seriously while inebriated. Without any reason to pester him further, she decided to take him for his word. She reached up and flicked his nose, "Hai, hai. Have fun, then." (Translation: "Yes, yes.")

The vocalist stood up straight, "Ouch..."

Noodle grinned up at him before turning to chase after Russel, who was still bobbing to the jarring music.

2D cleared his throat and looked back across the room at the spry brunette leaning against a wall beside the bar. She caught his eye and raised her glass to him. He began working his way towards her with a giddy feeling in his gut.

* * *

Where had the time gone?

Noodle peeked at her cell phone again, realizing that it was now 3 a.m.…. So much for getting any proper rest. "Pardon me, ladies, but I really need to get back to my room."

"Aw honey, we were about to say the same thing." The women that Murdoc had been dancing with earlier were now sitting with Noodle in the hotel lobby, discussing vocal work. They were all backup singers with an immense array of experience, and Noodle had gotten caught up talking with them. There were too many fascinating individuals in the building for her to simply go to bed early that evening. However, she knew she would regret her late-night ventures come daybreak.

"Besides…" One of the women, named Chelsea, began, "Isn't it past your bedtime?"

Noodle took no offense to the comment. Chelsea's voice was motherly. "I beg your pardon, but do you realize who I live with?"

The women all giggled as Noodle stood up from her seat. "Have a good…morning?"

"Oh you know we will, baby." Chelsea winked.

Noodle did a quick bow of her head before turning to head for the hallway.

The lobby was quiet in the early morning. The echo of her footsteps bounced off the high ceilings. The party in the convention room had diminished and whoever was still feeling festive had either left for the London night clubs or returned to their rooms for God-knows-what to fulfill their evenings.

Further revels were unthinkable to Noodle. With each step she took, she could feel her fatigue escalating. The thought of her hotel bed, however stiff the sheets might be, made her waft in impatient bliss.

As she rounded a corner, she suddenly caught the image of a certain Murdoc Niccals. She pushed some bangs behind her right ear as she watched the bassist stumble around with a lovely brunette woman at the far end of the corridor. There was no doubt that he had claimed his prize for the night….Noodle shook her head in dismay as she turned into a separate hallway. However, something told her to do a swift double-take. It was then that she realized that she had seen that brunette woman before. In fact, she had seen her just that evening…at the end of 2D's pointed finger from across the crowded convention room. Her name, if Noodle wasn't mistaken, was Jean.

The young girl took some air into her lungs and didn't let it out as she watched Jean fall into a make-out session with the pale-skinned Satanist. Poor 2D. At least he wasn't around to see the betrayal.

After a moment, Noods picked her feet back up and left the scene behind her. What an asshole, she kept repeating in her head.

As she at last approached the elevator that would take her up to her floor, she saw a women's restroom and decided to make a brief stop.

The lavatory was quite nice on the inside; coated in marble. The soft lighting calmed Noodle's tired eyes as she loomed toward a stall and entered. Minor annoyance ensued when she began to unbuckle her belt only to find that the zipper to her denims had gotten snagged on a string and wouldn't budge. She grunted loudly in her futile fight with the clothing mechanism, until a strange cough from the neighboring stall made her jump in surprise.

Having not realized that someone else was occupying the restroom, Noods stayed silent for several moments in a bit of embarrassment. Her eyes trailed downward to check if she could see any movement beneath the stall's patrician. A pair of men's trainers was all that she could see. Taking a closer look, she decided that she recognized the trainers. Another cough rung out, followed by the harsh sound of vomiting. There was no mistaking it…. "2D? Is that you?"

"mmhmr…-" Was the only bit of communication that occurred, before more bile supervened.

Noods quickly left her own stall and stood outside of his. "Why are you in here? Are you alright?..."

"Oh I'm jus'…swell." Stuart's voice was feeble.

The small girl contemplated if she should enter the stall or leave him be. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Maybe…- fetch me a gun of some sort? To properly blow my brains out."

"That's not funny." Noodle frowned.

"Heh heh…. Oh but it is." 2D hacked out sarcastically.

She listened to him dry-heave for a short second, before feeling determination build up. "I'm coming in."

"Tha's…..not necessary at all." The singer mumbled.

"….Yes, it is."

"No, it really isn't."

She hesitated, until she listened to him spit a few times and moan a terrible noise.

"Yes it is!" She insisted, pushing open the door, which had luckily been unlocked. Inside, she found Mr. Pot on the floor with his cheek pressed against the toilet seat. "'ello…." He sighed.

Noodle stared. Although she had known him for 6 years, she had never seen him like this. It was a troubling scene.

She reached over him and held her breath as she flushed the mess down.

"Yeh shouldn't see me like this, yeh shouldn't-….Yeh shouldn't be 'ere….I'm sorry..."

"Don't apologize; it's not your fault…"

"I wish it wasn't."

Noodle was unsure what he meant, but decided not to inquire. "You need to get to bed."

"I'm fine 'ere."

"…In the women's restroom?"

2D paused and lifted his head briefly before letting it drop back down, "Bloody hell."

Noodle grabbed a loose roll of tissue paper and handed him a wad.

He lifted his hand to decline her offer and proceeded to expel vomit into the toilet. All that exited his mouth was saliva. It was obvious that he had been in the lavatory for quite some time and had exorcised everything he had in his stomach.

Having never been faced with this type of situation, Noodle felt inclined to take her leave. But she knew that abandoning him here would clutter her conscience, resulting in no sleep. She needed to relocate him.

As his heaving continued, she touched her hand to his back.

"I'm sorry, Noods." He said after a period of silent breathing into the porcelain bowl.

She moved her hand up and down his back for a moment before responding, "…Stop that. You never have to apologize to me."

He lifted his head to look at her. Her face was smeared with honesty. He realized, somewhere deep in his befuddled subconscious, that no one had ever said that to him before. He accepted her words with a nod as she yet again handed him a tissue. He finally took it.

"What happened?" Noodle asked after another flush of the toilet.

2D sat with his back leaned against the opposite wall. "…Doesn't matter now. Yeh don't wana 'ear it. Don't wana 'ear the same ol' bit from a washed up coot."

Noodle couldn't help but chuckle under her breath, "You're 26….you're nowhere near a coot."

"Noods, don't try ta' be nice about it. J-Jus' look at me! I'm an ol' drunk bastard that's gettin' overripe for this shit."

"May I ask what on earth you're talking about?"

"Everything! Meetin' girls, sleepin' with 'em, dumpin' 'em or gettin' dumped. It's a bunch of fuckin' rubbish."

The young girl let her legs stretch out on the floor in front of her. 2D must have known about Murdoc's shenanigans with the brunette. She watched as the azure-haired Cockney dug around in his pant-pocket and pulled out a flask. She swiftly reached forward and snatched it from his grip before he could unscrew the cap.

"'Ey!"

"No more for you."

"I can assure yeh that there's barely a drop of liquor in me."

"Because you just puked it all up."

"Who are yeh to tell me-when I've had enough?"

She held the flask high above her head as 2D unsteadily tried to retrieve it from her. "You never drink this much! Do you _want_ to make yourself sicker?"

The singer reached for the container with all his might, but couldn't accomplish his mission. Instead, he gave up on his own weight and fell into Noodle's lap. "….Jus' who do yeh think yeh are?"

Noodle reached above them and poured the contents of the flask into the toilet, "Your friend."

2D shut his hallow eyes, attempting to see past his drunken stupor enough to understand how foolish he was acting in front of his young band mate.

He let his head rest on her shoulder, "Jean took off with that arse."

"I know," was Noodle's only response.

She glanced down at the Brit. They had never been in such close contact before. If it had been any other time, she would have swiftly pushed him away, but in his current state she didn't mind the intimacy. It made her feel like they were family.

She let him repose for a few minutes more before patting his head, "Ready to go?"

"No….." He hummed.

Noodle grumbled under his weight.

"I mean…yes. I think. I'll try, then."

Confirming his decision to move, 2D began pushing off of Noodle and reaching for the nearest wall for stability.

Noodle picked herself up too, but was roughly reunited with her seat on the floor when the Cockney came toppling down on her again. "2D! Get up, you're heavy!"

He moaned agonizingly.

"Stuart."

"It's mighty difficult though, isn't it?" He stated indifferently.

"You can at least try. I'm not leaving you in here for some poor old woman to find in the morning…"

2D hissed out a laugh.

Noodle rolled her eyes. This was going to be harder than she thought. She wiggled her way out from under him and stood up; feeling like a bag of soil had been lifted off her small frame.

2D propped himself up against the stall's partition again and peered up at her with squinting eyes, "Jus' leave me 'ere. Maybe a lovely lass will find me and take me in. An' I'll finally meet someone nice…."

An idea occurred to her. "You know, you're right."

"Eh?"

Noodle stepped back towards the door and opened it, "You might meet someone nice here on the bathroom floor! Can't take any chances….it would be better for you to stay."

"Bu'…Noods.."

"See you at the studio tomorrow. Goodnight!" She shut the stall door and walked towards the bathroom exit.

"Noooodle! Wait, please wait." 2D whined just as she reached for the door handle. She looked over her shoulder and stared at the occupied stall. Sighing with a grin, she walked back over and opened the door.

The singer was gazing up at her with a pitiful expression, "Look'it that. It worked."

"What worked?"

"A lovely lass came and found me."

Noodle smiled, "Ayyah, 2D. Come on, let's go." She knelt down and let him dangle an arm around her neck, then slowly hoisted him up to his feet.

As they began to journey out of the stall, the tall man immediately began losing his balance, wobbling over to the wall.

Noodle held on tightly and managed to pull him up again, "We won't get far if you keep falling down."

"But everythin's all wonky."

"Just try." The guitarist politely pleaded.

"Right then." 2D attempted to focus as they walked through the bathroom exit and entered the hallway.

Everything was spinning. 2D shut his hallow eye sockets and reopened them, but the revolving room wouldn't cease. "Oi, Noods…"

"It's alright, you're doing good!"

"….Can we sit down for a moment?"

"We've barely left the bathroom….Do you remember what floor your room is on?"

The vocalist lowered his head, "I can't remember anythin' past an hour ago…."

Noodle was about to let him drop to the floor, but seeing his face twist with drunken anguish reminded her that she hadn't the heart to ditch him. Instead, she walked him over to the nearest corner where the lights were dim, lowered him down and then sat alongside him.

He slouched against the wallpaper and shut his eyes, "….I can't do it. Jus' go back to yeh room. Yeh got a big day tomorrow. Don't wana ruin it for yeh."

"Well, my big day can't happen without you, so I have no choice but to make sure you get back to your room too."

2D rolled his head over to look at her, "Gotta be honest with yeh, I don't think I'm guna make it there anytime soon."

Noodle brought her knees up towards her chin and rested her cheek there, "But you can't just stay out in the hall."

2D covered his face with his hands and began rubbing his eyes, "You're right, I can't…Bu'…I really can't walk with everythin' spinnin' around….."

Noodle felt her eyelids grow heavy. All she wanted was some apt sleep. But as weary as she was, she couldn't fathom leaving him there.

2D began to hang his head in his lap, carping to himself. "Noods, go to bed."

She felt powerless. All she could do was try and compromise. "Okay, fine….Just stay here and get some rest. I'll come back in a couple hours to check on you? You'll probably feel better by then, right?"

2D grumbled a quiet "mm.." and wilting down further.

"…Okay….I'm sorry…" She stood up and wrapped her arms around herself. It felt cold in the corridor.

As she began walking away, she heard him mumble under his breath, "….Yeh never 'ave to apologize to me."

She stopped and looked back down at him. Having her own words tossed back at her felt strangely placid. She didn't respond as she swiftly picked up her feet and headed for the elevator.

* * *

A few minutes later, Noodle opened the door to her hotel room and stood silently in the dark. She couldn't decide what to do. She felt like attempting to sleep now would be futile. It was already 4:45 a.m. and all she had to show for her evening was some confetti in her hair and an ill feeling in her gut for leaving a wasted 2D out in the hallway.

She flipped on a light switch and sat down on her lone bed.

She rubbed her thumb nails back and forth while thoughts flooded her mind. She could hear Stuart's voice repeating over and over…. "Yeh never 'ave to apologize to me."

If the intended denotation of his words had been the same as hers, she certainly didn't feel right abandoning him, as much as he wanted her to.

It seemed that there was only one logical solution to this problem.

She gathered up a wad of blankets in her arms and promptly left the room.

* * *

2D hadn't the right state of mind to sleep. Through his blurred thoughts, all he could think of was the lovely Jean being taken under the foul arm of Murdoc Niccals….a smirk on the older man's face as he bid 2D a pleasant evening.

He sighed heavily and tried to lift his head, but couldn't. His spirit-drenched bloodstream would take hours to dilute. He had no choice but to wait there in the evenly-lit hallway for some sort of absolution.

He closed his eyes again…and just as he did so, he felt a weight of warmth fall upon his boney shoulders. He took in the wonderful feeling before peeking to his side to see Noodle situating a blanket around him. He stared at her as she finished and then wrapped herself up in a separate set of sheets beside him.

She caught his stare and smiled briefly before leaning back against the wall and shutting her eyes.

He wanted to ask her why she had come back and why she gave a damn about him at all. He was an embarrassment; no good could come of him. But when he opened his mouth to speak, he couldn't quite get the words out before noticing how overwhelmingly relieved he felt with the fact that she had come back.

He closed his eyes and felt his body fall over; unable to distinguish which direction he had tumbled.

Noodle's eyes blinked open in surprise when he collapsed into her lap. She tried to shake him awake in order to move him; how was she to sleep with his lanky carcass jabbing her in the sides? But seeing his distressed expression vanish as he eased into slumber calmed her nerves. She melted further into her blankets and closed her eyes yet again.

"Thank you, Noods." She heard him slur.

It was no big deal, really.

[END Ch. 07]

/TBC/


End file.
